Aftermath
by Aylatha
Summary: Post-Conquest. The war has ended, and the survivors must find their place in a changed world, and live with the consequences of the decisions they made...
1. In Which Sakura Receives News

**A/N:**

Hello and welcome to my first Fire Emblem-story in years. This is a Fates/Conquest story, so beware spoilers. The following paragraph will also contain minor spoilers for Birthright, so just skip it if you haven't played that one yet.

I preferred Birthright to Conquest, not just because of the story, but also because some of the missions in Conquest were very hard to beat, and nearly impossible to finish without losing someone. Also, I found that the ending lacked a lot of story – while in Birthright, the surviving Nohrian royals are at Windmire, and Ryoma makes it abundantly clear he wants to help Nohr, not conquer it, the Nohrians in Conquest have very different ambitions. Also, Windmire is practically a deserted city, so civilians didn't really get drawn into the conflict. After the endgame, only one of the Hoshidan royals is at the capital, and we never find out how exactly Hinoka came to return to what was essentially enemy territory. Also, at Xander's coronation, she's all buddy-buddy with Kamui, without really having a reason to. I felt that Conquest needed a lot more story just to clear this all up, and thus, the idea for this fanfic was born.

I decided to use Kamui as the given name for the avatar – Kaze clearly remembers her name, and it would make sense for Mikoto to choose a Japanese-sounding name for her child after having settled in Hoshido. Also, it bothered me a lot that in the game, they always referred to the royals as lord/lady instead of prince/princess, and many a prince or princess might take offence at that. I believe this to be a result of translating the suffix "sama", which is used to address anyone of higher rank and usually gets translated as "lord". So I fixed that, too.

Oh, and please, no spoilers for Revelations, as I haven't finished that one yet.

Since I couldn't come up with any good names for chapters (or split this story into chapters at all), I decided to do this in a drabble-ish way (although I fear the drabbles will be quite long) and end a "chapter" every time there is a change of POV or location. I got the inspiration for naming my "chapters" from Sam F Parker's "Signum Vitalis".

I will also include a glossary at the end of every chapter for those of you not familiar with the Japanese language.

The cover image was created using the Shoujo manga avatar creator: Matsuri on Rinmaru Games.

* * *

Sakura couldn't quite determine the worst aspect of her situation.

She hated not knowing what was going on, yet at the same time, she dreaded receiving any kind of news – for they could hardly be good news.

Ever since the fall of Fort Jinya, she had been a prisoner of the Nohrian army – as well as her retainers, Subaki and Hana, and Yukimura, who had served her mother, and had been with them when the fort had been attacked. Though they had been the only ones lucky enough to escape with their lives – even though Prince Xander had promised to spare the lives of Sakura and her men should she yield the fort to his army, all of her soldiers had been slaughtered mercilessly after their surrender, and Sakura – with her hands bound – had been forced to watch helplessly as they bled out...

She could still hear their screams.

They had separated Sakura from the others and kept her in a small storage tent at the center of their army camp. She wasn't shackled or tied down, as her captors correctly assumed that she wouldn't be able to escape on her own, especially without a weapon. However, even if she should manage to find a bow she could use (Nohrian bows were so strange), Sakura was pretty certain she would never make it out alive – and even if she did, she wouldn't know what to do then – she hadn't been trained as a warrior, unlike her siblings, and had therefore not been taught how to survive in the wild. Running away on her own would eventually lead to her death.

Besides, she couldn't just abandon Subaki, Hana and Yukimura – she was their princess, and responsible for their welfare.

Though she could do very little in that regard at the moment.

Sakura was just glad she was being left alone most of the time – Xander, with his stoic features and stiff mannerisms, unsettled her greatly, as did the fierce-looking Princess Camilla. And while Prince Leo didn't look particularly terrifying, his eyes were always cold and calculating, and Sakura could well remember the damage he had inflicted with his magic during their battle.

However, none of the above frightened her nearly as much as King Garon and his henchmen, Iago and Hans. While she hadn't seen Garon and Iago in action yet, Hans had been the one leading the slaughter of her countrymen.

She was still angry at Xander for breaking his word – then again, she had gathered from the Nohrians that Garon had arrived unexpectedly and had simply overruled his son's orders.

It still baffled her how one could treat a defeated foe in such a manner.

Hoshidans had a strict code of honour, and it forbade mistreating defeated enemies. Of course, criminals faced punishment for their deeds, but they were never murdered in cold blood or executed without a trial.

While Sakura hadn't been harmed (intentionally – she had suffered some abrasions from the ropes that were used to bind her hands whenever she was moved), she had no idea whether her comrades had been as fortunate.

However, Sakura had also suspected that someone was striving to keep her safe and protected – and Princess Elise, the youngest of the Nohrian royals, had been visiting her quite often, bringing her blankets and always trying to chat with her. Sakura had refused the blankets at first, not wanting to accept the pity of her enemy, but had soon found that it got quite cold at nights. However, she still refused to talk to Elise.

The Nohrian army had marched straight onto the Great Wall of Susanoo next, where Takumi had been stationed – kind, gentle Takumi, who had taught her how to wield a bow when she had admitted to him how useless she felt, who had always allowed her to hide behind him and grab his clothing to make herself feel better... And now, he was dead. She had been informed that he had thrown himself off the wall after he had lost the battle, refusing Kamui's offer to spare him – Sakura had been told that no-one had survived that battle, including his retainers, Oboro and Hinata.

Sakura had been devastated, but done her best not to show it to the Nohrians who had brought her the news – she assumed that they had only told her because they had wanted to see her suffer. She'd spent all the time the army used to regroup and prepare for their march on the capital on her cot, refusing to get up, or eat anything, too caught up in her grief.

She had been forced to get up as soon as the army started moving again, though, and the constant marching had distracted her somewhat – she had been able to focus on other things than her grief.

However, it had all come crashing back once the Nohrian army started setting up camp outside the capital. Sakura knew that Hinoka and Ryoma were there, ready to take a last stand against the enemy. They would die trying to defend their homeland, Sakura knew. And she wasn't sure she would be able to handle another loss.

Sakura had been left behind in camp with several guards assigned to her – men loyal to Garon rather than Xander, she had learned – and all the non-fighters accompanying the army, such as cooks, blacksmiths and other craftsmen.

Despite the fact that her capture had happened many days ago, neither Kamui nor Azura had ever come to visit her. Even though Sakura felt betrayed by both of them, she would have liked to hear an explanation as for why they had chosen the paths they did.

Truth be told, it was Azura's betrayal that hurt her more – she could somewhat understand that Kamui wanted to be with the family she grew up with, even though Sakura completely failed to comprehend how anyone could go back to the man who had murdered her father, kidnapped her, pretended to be her father, and whose actions had caused the death of her birth mother.

Azura, on the other hand – she had spent most of her life in Hoshido, and, being the gentle and kind person that Queen Mikoto had been, she had loved Azura just as much as she had loved her step-children. Even though Azura had technically been a political hostage, she had never wanted for anything, and had been treated as family – except maybe by Takumi, but he had always been a difficult person to interact with. Azura and Sakura had been very close, and Azura had mentioned how she and her mother, late queen Arete, had been mistreated by the royal court in Windmire, and that, given the chance, she would not return to Nohr. Therefore, her actions didn't make the least bit of sense.

Unable to stand the tension any longer, Sakura got to her feet and started pacing, wringing her hands and fisting them into the fabric of her clothes. She couldn't bear to just wait, yet she dreaded hearing the news – the Nohrian army seemed unstoppable, and she was certain that both Ryoma and Hinoka would refuse to surrender.

The sound of a horse approaching at a fast pace roused Sakura from her dark thoughts. Horses never moved at this kind of speed through the camp, she knew from observation. It would be stupid, really, to gallop amongst all the tents and wagons, so Sakura had no idea why anyone would do such a thing.

"P-Princess Elise!", one of the guards posted outside the tent exclaimed.

"Stand aside. I need a word with Princess Sakura."

"We are under strict orders from King Garon to let no-one inside, princess", the guard replied.

"King Garon is dead. It's Xander you answer to now. Move."

"But, princess - "

"Fine", Elise replied. "I'll just have to tell Xander you refused a royal order. Enjoy the remainder of your life."

"W-wait, please! It's just - "

"Listen, you big dimwit. It's been a long day for all of us, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make it any more of an ordeal than it has been already. You – and all the other soldiers, workers and whoever might be nearby are to move out of hearing range. I want a word with Princess Sakura, _in private_."

"At once!"

"If I catch anyone eavesdropping, it'll have consequences!", Elise yelled after the men as they scurried away.

Sakura wasn't sure what to think of that – Elise had visited her before, but had never ordered the guards to leave. Also, Garon was dead? What did that mean? Had Hoshido won the war after all?

 _No, don't get your hopes up, Sakura. Wait until you hear what Elise has to say._

Sakura didn't have more time to think, anyway, as Elise pushed open the tent flap and stepped inside. She looked slightly dishevelled, and she was still carrying her tome and staff – she had never brought her tome before, and Sakura assumed she'd come directly from the battlefield.

The two girls stared at one another for a heartbeat, before Elise broke the silence.

"Did anyone beat me here? Did anyone talk to you about the battle?"

"N-no", Sakura replied. "No-one's c-come in here e-ever since you l-left. The army, I m-mean."

"I see. Good."

Elise dropped her tome onto one of the boxes before moving closer.

"Mind if I sit down? Today's been really exhausting, and I don't just mean physically... I'm still trying to make sense of everything that's happened."

"Uh, sure", Sakura replied, gesturing towards her cot.

Elise plopped down with a rather ungraceful "ooph", cradling her staff against one shoulder.

"Perhaps you should sit as well", she mumbled. "I'm not exactly a bearer of great news. Sorry."

Sakura took a fortifying breath before sitting down next to Elise, her back stiff.

"I-I'm confused", she said when Elise still hadn't said anything after a while. "Y-You said King G-Garon was d-dead?"

"Yeah", Elise sighed. "It's a really complicated mess, and I'm still not sure if I understand everything, but I think it's best if I tell you everything in order, or you'll never understand. But we need you to understand..."

"Understand what? That you h-had to invade my h-homeland and t-tear my family apart?!"

Elise winced.

"I never wanted any of that to happen, believe me, but no-one cares about what a little princess like me wants!", she pleaded.

Sakura was already regretting her outburst – while Elise wasn't scary per se, she was still part of the royal family, and she had just threatened some of her own men – therefore Sakura considered this one of her less bright moments.

"I-I'm sorry", she stammered. "I sh-shouldn't have - "

"No, it's okay", Elise replied quietly. "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now – but I understand if you're angry."

"I-I still shouldn't h-have - ", Sakura tried again, but Elise cut her off.

"I said it's okay!", she almost shouted, grabbing Sakura's hand and squeezing it. "Shout or scream if it makes you feel better, just – please don't blame me for anything that happened..."

Sakura, however, remained quiet, waiting for Elise to begin her tale. The Nohrian princess sighed.

"I guess there's no more putting this off, is there?"

"I-I need to know. Whatever i-it is you h-have to tell me."

"All right... First of all, you might have noticed that our army is made up of two large factions: the men following Kamui and Xander's lead, and the ones following fa- Garon's. Ever since the war started, Kamui has been ordering our men to hold back on killing as much as they could – it was her wish to spare you, and your men. However, the other part of our army knew no such restraints, and the men following Garon killed indiscriminately... They even seemed to enjoy it."

Elise sounded disgusted.

"Ever since Kamui returned with us to Windmire after our first confrontation on the plains of Hoshido, Garon has given her horrible missions and tasks to test her loyalty, as he said. So, as we set out this morning, we were informed that your sister, Princess Hinoka, was guarding the castle gates, and Garon ordered Kamui to kill her."

Sakura gasped.

"We all thought this was incredibly cruel – but refusing a direct order would be a death sentence – I've heard he once had a knight's entire family murdered just because the knight refused an honour the king had offered him... And we couldn't expect any kind of leniency just because we were his children, either... so we set out."

To Sakura, it seemed incomprehensible that a father could treat his own children in such a manner, she could never imagine Ryoma – or her own father – acting such a way...

"We eventually defeated Princess Hinoka and her retainers, and Kamui prepared to decapitate her – but she missed, on purpose. She then took Hinoka's lance and told her she was dead to the world, and should flee. She wanted to use her lance as proof that she'd killed her, so Garon and Iago wouldn't grow suspicious."

"H-Hinoka is alive?", Sakura asked, her tone tinged with hope.

"As far as we know, yes. Iago didn't really buy our story, and some of his men saw Hinoka sneaking out. He confronted Kamui while Garon was in the throne room, alone, and we killed him. No-one was sad to see him go."

Sakura made a small noise of agreement.

"Wh-what about Ryoma?", she asked tentatively.

Elise closed her eyes and seemed to fortify herself.

"He was blocking the way to the throne room, and challenged Kamui to single combat. Garon ordered her to kill him, and your brother's remaining men attacked us – two of them were particularly ferocious – two ninjas."

"Saizo and Kagero", Sakura whispered. "They were Ryoma's retainers."

"I see – that would explain their fierceness – we were unable to overpower them, they would not surrender. We – we were forced to kill them."

Sakura bowed her head. While it sounded like Azama and Setsuna might still be alive, Ryoma's retainers had been less fortunate – then again, Sakura couldn't ever imagine that either of them would surrender – they'd rather take their own lives than suffer such a humiliation.

"Prince Ryoma didn't want to listen to reason, either, even though Kamui tried to talk to him before they started their duel – she did manage to make him listen once she had overpowered him, though. We were too far away to hear what they were talking about, but it looked as if he had understood what she had been trying to say to him, his hostile energy completely gone – and then – then – then he grabbed his sword and – gods, that was heartbreaking – he stabbed himself."

"No!", Sakura exclaimed in horror, her hands flying to her mouth.

Elise squeezed her eyes shut.

"We believe he wanted to spare Kamui the pain of having to kill him herself... I'll never forget her scream. Or the shock on Azura's face – Iago had the gall to complain about him stealing Kamui's victory, the bastard, but Garon shut him up before disappearing into the throne room. Iago then confronted us just as Kamui and Azura were trying to get their bearings, and I do think they did take some pleasure in ridding the world of him.

"It was then that Kamui and Azura – who had been acting in a strange way occasionally – told us that they had discovered something terrible. According to them, Garon had been possessed by some kind of monster, which was planning to destroy Nohr and Hoshido by causing a war between them."

"Wh-what? Seriously?"

"Yeah, that's how the rest of us reacted. But – Camilla, Leo and Xander sometimes told me that father had changed suddenly – that he had been caring once, and kind. Leo said he would let him ride on his shoulders... I never knew that Garon – the real Garon. The others attributed his change to the loss of both Queen Katherina and Queen Arete, and didn't question it overly much."

"Queen Arete w-was Azura's m-mother, wasn't she?"

"Yes."

"A-and Queen Katherina?"

"Was Xander's mother."

"I-I see."

"Anyway, Azura told us she'd already tried to bring back the real Garon using her magical song, but failed. She told us the only way to end this war was to kill the monster – and that the reason they had worked so hard to seize Hoshido was so they could trick him into sitting on the throne – which would apparently reveal his true nature."

Sakura gasped.

"M-Mother said something like that", she said, remembering. "She said it had m-magical properties."

"I see. So, the plan had been to reveal the monster's true nature to us by using the throne – both Azura and Kamui feared that we'd never believe them if they'd just told us."

"W-well, it sounds pretty f-far-fetched", Sakura mumbled in agreement. "I wouldn't h-have believed them."

Elise hummed.

"Anyway, they convinced us to go inside and see for ourselves – we found Garon sitting on the throne, and – he didn't look human any more – there was a face on his chest and I – I realised that I'd never know my real father..."

Elise looked absolutely shaken, and Sakura couldn't help but feel pity for her. She knew what it was like not to know one's father, but at the very least, there hadn't been an imposter of _her_ father walking around Castle Shirasagi...

"The monster was enraged we had seen its true nature, and attacked, trying to kill us. It was frighteningly powerful, and I don't think we'd have been able to defeat it without our divine weapons, and Yato. We won, obviously, but the battle wore us all out. And then, just as we thought everything was finally over, Prince Takumi appeared."

"T-Takumi? He – he was alive?", Sakura asked in disbelief.

"Yes – somehow. You see, after our battle at the Great Wall was over, we went looking for his body – but found nothing. Even if he had managed to survive a fall from that height, he would have been too badly injured to be able move around much, he would have never been able to get away from there in time, or without leaving a trail – and yet we found no trace of him. We still don't know how he did it, but he had apparently followed us all the way to the capital.

"He was furious with Kamui for siding with us, blaming her for your mother's death as well as Ryoma's. Kamui thought that he would just need to vent, and allowed him to attack her, certain he wouldn't actually try to kill her..."

Sakura stared at Elise in horror. She knew the power of the Fujin Yumi, had seen it many times being unleashed by Takumi either in practice or battle. Takumi's shots were precise, and deadly.

"Apparently, Kamui was wrong, and she fell. When I rushed over to help her, she seemed lifeless – there was nothing I could do."

Sakura felt chilled to her core – Kamui had died? At the hands of Takumi? So far, none of the siblings had actually killed each other – if Elise's words were to be believed – and Sakura had a really hard time picturing Takumi as a revengeful killer.

"K-Kamui d-died?", Sakura finally asked in a small voice.

"It seemed that way", Elise replied. "Your brother most certainly believed it, and started taunting us, and celebrating his victory."

"Th-That doesn't sound like T-Takumi at a-all", Sakura protested.

"That's what Azura said, too. She then assumed that he had been possessed by the same creature as my father, which was confirmed by Kamui when she came back to us."

"W-Wait – what? You j-just said she d-died..."

"You're a healer, aren't you?"

"Y-Yes."

"Then you must know what a dead body feels like."

Sakura nodded. All healers were taught to use their magic to check if a person was still alive, in addition to checking for pulse, heartbeat or breathing.

"Well, from a healer's point of view, she was dead. Nothing to be done about it. I have absolutely no idea how it was possible for her soul to leave the body so quickly, or how she managed to come back – she told us she'd met Queen Mikoto, Prince Ryoma – and the _real_ Prince Takumi, who had apparently been dead for quite a while. Azura lamented the fact that she might have been able to do something to help Takumi had she been by his side, and Kamui told us that Takumi had asked her to stop the monster using his body. So we prepared to engage him."

"This – I-I can't believe this!"

"I understand if you find it hard to believe anything I say, but seriously, if I was trying to deceive you, I'd put a bit more effort into it – come up with a more believable story, you know. And I can't really think of any reason why I would lie to you about this. I swear to all the gods that might be out there that I'm telling the truth."

Sakura swallowed hard.

"S-So – I t-take it you k-k-killed him?", she asked in a small voice.

"Yes. Fighting him was even worse than fighting possessed Garon had been, he was completely deranged. Azura sang a really weird song I've never heard before, and that seemed to affect him somehow... We apparently managed to purge that monster from his body, and Kamui got to speak to the real Takumi again before he died – he apologised for having been a jerk, and I think he at least partly blamed himself for what happened to him..."

"I-I see. So Takumi was possessed b-by the same c-creature as your f-father?"

"We think so. Azura didn't really have much time to tell us anything, as we were rather busy fighting for our lives... But it would make sense for a creature trying to destroy Hoshido and Nohr to possess people on _both_ sides..."

"T-True."

"Anyway, Xander sent me here to tell you all of what happened so you wouldn't – we found out about last time, after the battle at the Great Wall. He thought it would be better if I told you before you found out from someone else..."

"That's v-very – c-considerate of him."

"Hm. Anyway, are you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"To the castle, of course! Xander wants to see you."

"Ah – could you g-give me a m-moment, please?"

"Sure. Should I wait outside?"

"P-Please."

"All right. Come outside whenever you're ready."

Elise got to her feet, grabbed her tome, and left the tent.

Suppressing a groan, Sakura curled in on herself and hid her face in her hands. Ryoma and Takumi were dead – and Hinoka somewhere out in the wild, with probably only a handful of men... Sakura could hardly believe it. Her older siblings had always appeared so strong, so confident, she would have never thought that they could be defeated – that they could be killed. Yet all three had suffered defeat at the hands of their enemies, and Takumi had even been killed in battle... Sakura could totally see Ryoma ending his own life to spare his beloved sister the pain of having to do it, but that still didn't make it hurt any less. At the very least, Hinoka was still alive... maybe she would manage to raise support for her cause, and manage to reclaim the throne... Izumo might be willing to help.

The thought of Xander wanting to see her filled her with trepidation – like his father, he'd only visited her once, and hadn't stayed long – she assumed he'd only wanted to see where she was being kept. Neither Leo nor Camilla had ever stopped by, she had only seen them when on the move.

But with his father dead, Xander was in charge of both the army and Nohr, and de facto Hoshido's new king. It would be prudent for a conqueror to weed out all members of the previous ruler's family to make sure they wouldn't contest his claim, so Elise might well be here to lead her to her execution... Then again, if they just wanted to execute her, they surely wouldn't have sent the youngest member of their royal family on her own to fetch the captive princess... Or cared whether or not she would be upset upon learning of the death of her brothers.

Sakura had no idea what to expect, however, and thinking about it only made her anxiety worse. Therefore, she decided to take whatever might come in stride – there was nothing she could do to change her fate at this point, after all. She sent a quick prayer to the kami to give her strength before getting to her feet and taking a deep breath. Once she felt calm enough, she walked over to the entrance and peeked out.

Elise was waiting nearby, her horse tethered to one of the tent's poles. She beckoned for Sakura to come over.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"N-no. We don't r-really use horses for that – they are used to h-haul carts or carry goods."

"Then – how did you travel anywhere?"

"W-well, I'd walk, if i-it wasn't too far. If I had to g-get somewhere fast, I'd ride on Hinoka's or Subaki's pegasus. For longer d-distances, I'd use a litter."

"A litter? What's that?"

"Um – it's like a small room made from w-wood, with curtains and cushions that gets carried by servants o-or horses."

"Sounds a bit like a four-poster."

"What's a f-four-poster?"

"A bed with four poles that hold up curtains. You draw them shut and are snug and warm all night long."

"Sounds s-similar. A litter has a roof, though."

"Four-posters do, too."

"Th-That's funny", Sakura said, smiling slightly.

"Yup", Elise agreed with a grin. "Do you have your own litter, or do you have to share?"

"They c-come in different sizes. Mine i-is big enough for several people, but each member of the royal family has his or her own litter. Though Hinoka rarely used hers."

"I see. Well then, riding isn't particularly difficult, and we'll go slow, so you won't fall off. You get up first."

"U-Um – I don't think I c-can..."

The outfit Elise was wearing seemed a lot more suitable for riding than Sakura's robes, and she had no idea how she should get into the saddle without help...

"Oh. Right. Wait a minute. Hey! You there", Elise shouted in the direction of a worker in the distance. "Bring a crate for Princess Sakura so she can get on the horse!"

The man sketched a quick bow and hurried to find a crate.

Once everything was in place, Elise took hold of the left stirrup.

"All right. First, climb onto the crate. Then, grab the front and back of the saddle, and put your left foot in the stirrup. That's it. Now, haul yourself up, but make sure to keep both legs on the left side – I don't think sitting astride the horse would be comfortable for you with what you're wearing."

Following Elise's instructions, Sakura managed to mount the horse. Elise untied the reins from the pole and effortlessly swung herself up behind Sakura. She took the reins into her right hand and wound her left arm around Sakura's waist.

"You can grab the mane, too, if it makes you feel better."

Having said that, she directed the horse towards the edge of the camp.

"Oh, by the way, some of our men are waiting for us outside the camp. Xander wouldn't let me go alone – even though I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Sakura could hear the pout in Elise's voice, and smiled a secretive smile no-one could see.

"S-sounds to m-me he's just w-worried. R-Ryoma – was l-like that, t-too."

"I see."

Silence fell afterwards, the awkward kind, where none of the people present know what to say. Sakura fought the urge to fidget, not wanting to fall off the horse.

Trying to find something to distract herself with, she inspected the horse's gear, and noticed that both Elise's tome and staff had been strapped to the saddle – the tome was stored in a protective case, but seemed easy enough to reach.

As they left camp, Sakura spotted Elise's entourage – most of them were mounted on horseback, but there were one draco-knight and a mage sitting astride a black pegasus, too.

"May I present", Elise said, as she brought her horse to a stop. "Peri and Laslow, Xander's retainers. Niles and Odin, Leo's retainers. Beruka and Selena, Camilla's retainers. And these are Nyx and Silas."

Niles, Peri, Laslow, Selena, Silas and Nyx turned out to be the horsemen, Beruka the one riding the wyvern, and Odin the pegasus. The grin Peri gave Sakura sent chills down her spine.

"Um – where a-are your retainers, P-Princess Elise?"

"At the castle. Arthur and Ellie aren't mounted units, so I couldn't bring them along – I tried to get here as fast as possible, and so Xander put together a team of elite fighters he trusted to accompany me."

"I s-see."

"Princess Elise, are you ready to depart?", Laslow asked with a smile.

"Yes. Get into formation. Oh, and Laslow, Niles? I don't want to hear any kind of stupid comments from you, to any of us."

"You wound me, milady", Niles lamented. "I would never do such a thing!"

"Be quiet, or I'll tell Leo."

The group formed up with Laslow and Peri in front, Selena and Silas flanking Elise, and Nyx and Niles at the rear. Beruka and Odin took to the skies to circle above them.

Despite moving at a rather leisurely pace, they reached the city sooner than Sakura would have on foot. The closer they came to their destination, the more nervous Sakura became – soon, she would see the first bodies. Bodies of men she hadn't been able to help, because she'd been detained in a tent far away from the front lines... Rationally, she knew that these deaths were not her fault, because she would have never been able to make it all the way here, but if only she'd been able to hold Fort Jinya... then, perhaps, her brothers would still be alive.

Nohrian soldiers were patrolling the streets, but despite the evidence of a recent battle, she couldn't see a single corpse. Sakura was still puzzling over this when a cry made her jump.

"Sakura-hime!"

Turning in the saddle as far as she could, she saw a woman hurrying towards her, a desperate expression on her face. Soldiers intercepted her and tried to hold her back.

"Stop right there!"

"Let me through! Sakura-hime!"

"Get back!"

Sakura gasped when one of the man shoved her back using his lance, and she fell with a cry. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to watch as the man struck her.

"Stop! Stop this right now!", Elise thundered.

Sakura dared to open her eyes again, and saw that the man had frozen in place.

"Selena, hold the rains. Look after Princess Sakura for me."

"Yes, milady."

Elise grabbed her staff and slid out of the saddle, then marched over to where the men were, still surrounding the fallen woman, who looked livid.

"You! How dare you attack an unarmed woman! Do you have any idea how this reflects on us, if you do things like that? The Hoshidans now probably think we're some kind of barbaric race with no sense of decency or honour! You will go back to camp, and wait there until someone gives you a different order."

"B-but, princess - "

Elise swung her staff around so its tip was pointed straight at the man's face.

" _Now_. Or I'll let Peri have you. And there won't be any dinner for you, too."

The man paled, but apparently thought it would be better do do what Elise wanted. He tried to leave with as much dignity as he could, though Sakura could tell that he was pretty incensed.

Elise now approached the woman, who had managed to get into a sitting position.

"Are you all right? Do you need to get healed?"

The woman stared at her for a heartbeat before slightly shaking her head.

"I'm fine. Why – why did you help me?"

"Because I read in a book that we should treat everyone with kindness, including criminals, or our enemies. And I like that idea."

"I see. You have my thanks."

The woman bowed her head before looking up in Sakura's direction. Sakura managed an encouraging smile, hoping to convey the message that everything would be fine – even though she had no idea if that would be the case.

The woman slowly got to her feet, wincing slightly.

"You there, soldier. Accompany this woman back to her house. And make sure to spread the news – Xander won't tolerate things like this. Members of the Nohrian army should behave as such, and not like a band of thugs."

"At once, princess."

Elise turned on the spot and briskly walked over to them. Before she could swing herself onto her horse, Sakura placed her hand over hers.

"Thank you", she said earnestly.

Elise smiled briefly.

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad I was able to do something this time."

Sakura nodded, and removed her hand.

The remainder of their trip to Castle Shirasagi was uneventful, and Sakura was glad about it – she was already worn out enough by this day's events, and she really didn't need any more excitement.

Xander, Camilla, Kamui and Leo were standing in the main courtyard, talking amongst each other. Azura was nowhere in sight. They turned around to face them just as Odin and Beruka came swooping down. Elise and the others dismounted, while Sakura stayed where she was – she felt a bit more confident on horseback, besides, she was quite certain she wouldn't be able to make a descent quite as graceful as Elise's. The last thing she wanted was to fall flat on her face while surrounded by enemies.

Laslow appeared by her side.

"Need some help, princess?"

"Yes, p-please."

"All right. Just hold on to my shoulders, and let yourself fall. I'll catch you without fail."

Sakura did as instructed, and Laslow carefully eased her to the ground. Sakura looked up at him, trying her hardest not to show just how embarrassed she was.

"Thank y-you."

"Anything for a beautiful flower like yourself, princess."

Sakura blushed.

"Laslow!"

"Ah, my apologies, Princess Elise."

Laslow grabbed the reins of Elise's horse and followed the others towards the stables. Sakura suddenly found herself alone with all of Nohr's royal children.

All her previous fears and worries came crashing back, and she lowered her gaze go the ground, her hands kneading the fabric of her robes.

Kamui made a strangled noise.

"Where's Azura? Haven't you found her yet?", Elise asked.

"No", Xander replied. "We haven't searched the entire castle yet, but so far, we haven't found a trace of her."

"You don't think something happened to her?"

"I don't know... The Hoshidans might resent her for her role in the war, but if someone did harm her, we ought to have found a trace of her by now... Princess Sakura, do you know where Azura might be?"

Sakura jumped at being addressed so suddenly, and looked up. Xander's face was just as impassive as she remembered, and his eyes bore into hers.

She quickly looked away.

"Azura d-didn't like b-being a-around p-people", she stammered. "She would o-often go down to th-the l-lake to s-sing."

"I see. Leo, round up some men and have them search the area - "

"The lake! Gods, no!"

Everyone turned to look at Kamui, who had turned white.

"What's wrong, darling?", Camilla asked in a worried tone, placing a hand on Kamui's shoulder.

Sakura felt sick.

"Did Azura talk to any of you before you last saw her? Did she mention a place you'd never heard of – the place that monster came from?"

The others exchanged glances.

"Not as far as I know", Leo replied. "Come to think of it – where _was_ that monster from? Azura never gave us the details. And why would talking about it be a problem?"

"That's because of the curse. Azura told me that I must never speak about _that place_ , or I'd vanish."

"For real? Like, this is actually a thing?", Elise asked, sounding sceptical.

"I had no reason to doubt her. I've been to _that place_ , which is why I know of it. Azura couldn't tell anyone – I have no idea how long she's known."

"So where is _that place_? And how did you get there?", Xander asked.

"I don't really know where it is exactly, as we used magical portals to get there, and back here. I stumbled through the portal by accident – I had gone looking for Azura, and saw her go down into a lake fully clothed. When she didn't resurface, I went after her, worried she might drown... but I never reached the bottom of the lake – instead, I was in _that place_ , where I met Azura, and Gunther. Azura was surprised to see me, and told me of the curse placed on this land. We were then spotted by the people living there, and had to flee to another portal, since Gunther couldn't go through the lake, according to Azura. Remember that night we brought him back? How we were bruised and bloodied?"

"I do", Xander replied. "Iago interrogated you about that, didn't he."

"Yes. He was very interested in finding out where exactly we had been. Come to think of it – could he have been in on this? Could he have known about – about _that place_?"

"It's not unthinkable – Iago had been close to the imposter for a long time", Leo replied.

"S-so", Sakura said, immediately drawing everyone's attention back to herself – "you think that she m-might have g-gone through the portal whenever she w-was at the lake? She usually was gone f-for hours."

"It's very likely", Kamui replied. "She told me she was captured by Hoshidan warriors when she returned through the portal."

"Ah. When R-Ryoma found out what had happened, h-he was furious. I'd n-never s-seen him like that b-before..."

"So, Kamui, you think that Azura could have vanished because she talked about that mysterious place of yours?", Camilla asked.

"It's possible, and it would explain why no-one found a trace of her", Kamui replied heavily. "Though I have no idea why she would throw her life away like that after the war was already over – we defeated that monster, which had been our aim ever since she showed me Garon's true form..."

"Maybe she just went through the portal again?", Elise suggested.

"I don't know, and I don't think I could open such a portal myself. It had all been Azura's magic all the time."

"Well, all is not lost yet. We might still find her", Leo said.

"I don't think idle speculation will get us anywhere. I suggest we halt the search for today – the men are exhausted, and we have other matters to think about, too", Xander said.

The others nodded in agreement, and Sakura got the sinking feeling those "other important matters" concerned her.

"Princess Sakura", Xander said gravely, turning around to face her, "I owe you an apology. I deeply regret that I was unable to keep my word back at Fort Jinya – had it been in my power to save the lives of your countrymen, I would have done it in an instant."

Sakura blinked. This wasn't at all what she had expected.

Leo was smiling that annoying smile of his again, and Camilla looked mildly amused. Elise and Kamui didn't seem to find her lack of reaction funny, though.

"I h-heard something l-like that from some soldiers", Sakura said after recovering somewhat. "They s-said that you would n-never go back on your w-word, and that King G-Garon's actions b-besmirched your n-name."

Xander lifted an eyebrow.

"That was very brave – and foolish – of them", he said. "That imposter would have had their heads on spikes had he found out about this."

"They s-seemed very a-angry", Sakura replied. "I think they c-cared little f-for p-possible consequences. I n-never knew Nohrians took h-honour so s-seriously."

Xander lifted his other eyebrow. Sakura paled.

"I-I'm s-sorry! That c-came out th-the wrong w-way..."

"Ignorance is not a crime, princess", Xander replied calmly. "One cannot be expected to know everything."

"T-True."

"One should always strive to obtain new knowledge, though. Know that I hold a great deal on my honour, and that my failure to keep my promise to you gnawed at me day and night. I once again beg your forgiveness, Princess Sakura."

It was in that moment that Sakura realised that showing understanding for his position wasn't enough – he needed to hear that she forgave him. While Sakura wasn't sure she was able to actually do that, it didn't strike her as clever or practical to hold a grudge against him – she should rather try to get on his good side, if at all possible.

"I accept y-your apology, and I f-forgive your for being unable to k-keep your word, Prince Xander. Though you o-ought to know that the f-families of those that w-were slain m-might not be s-so forgiving."

"I understand. I couldn't ask for more."

Sakura got the strangest of feelings that in that moment, they understood each other perfectly – which was utterly absurd, since she had no idea what Xander was like either as a prince, or as a person. The silence that followed their words made Sakura edgy, and she busied herself with kneading the fabric of her robes again.

"Here they come", Leo suddenly said.

Sakura turned into the direction of the gates to see Hana, Subaki and Yukimura being led into the courtyard by several soldiers. Their hands were bound, and they looked dishevelled.

"Sakura-hime!", Hana yelled as soon as she spotted her. "Sakura-hime! Let go of me, you brute!"

She tried to break free from the soldiers' grips, and Sakura feared that she would see a repetition of what had happened in town earlier. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Xander make a swift gesture, and the men released Hana – who broke into a rather graceless run and didn't stop until she'd reached her side.

"Hana!"

"Sakura-hime! I'm so glad to see you! And so sorry for letting you down..."

"Don't. It doesn't matter."

Subaki came walking towards them at a slower pace, managing to look like a perfect knight despite being unarmed and having his wrists tied together. He gave Sakura one of his charming smilies before fixing his attention on the others.

Yukimura was the last one to arrive – he looked pale and haggard, and he didn't even try to conceal the suspicion he felt towards the Nohrians.

Xander had, in the meantime, produced a dagger from somewhere, and beckoned to Hana, who stood closest to him.

"Come here."

Hana instantly took half a step backwards, shifting into a defensive stance. Both Yukimura and Subaki looked alarmed, while Sakura tried her best to hide how terrified she was.

"Oh, come on", Elise said, rolling her eyes. "He's not gonna stab you."

"Keh. Like I'd be scared of some pathetic Nohrians!", Hana retorted.

"Hana!", Sakura exclaimed, horrified.

It was one thing to be sassy on the battlefield, where taunting your enemy could work in your favour – and something entirely different to provoke an enemy that held your life in his hands.

"Well then, what's the hold-up?", Xander asked calmly.

Hana straightened her spine and all but marched over to the Nohrian prince. Xander took hold of her wrists with one hand and then carefully sawed through the ropes, taking care not to cut her in the process. When he was done, he tossed the remains of the ropes towards Camilla, who incinerated them before they even hit her.

Hana's eyes went wide.

"Who's next?", Xander asked conversationally.

Subaki moved over, gently pushing Hana, who seemed petrified, out of the way. Sakura took her arm and pulled her aside, subtly checking for injuries – before realising that she didn't have her Sun Festal.

When it was Yukimura's turn, he refused to approach Xander.

"What exactly is your game, Nohrian?", he demanded in the most authoritative voice he could manage.

"Right now, I plan to cut your bonds. Unless you prefer to stay the way you are? I imagine it must be rather uncomfortable."

Yukimura's eyes narrowed in anger, but he allowed Xander to cut his bonds.

"Well?", he demanded when Xander didn't speak soon enough for his taste.

"I have some matters to discuss with Princess Sakura, and I thought I might need your input. That is why you are here."

Yukimura frowned.

"What could you possibly need from us? Do you need us to explain how the Hoshidan government works or something like that?", he asked sarcastically.

"Yukimura-san!", Sakura exclaimed. "Th-That's enough! Let's h-hear what P-Prince Xander h-has to say."

"As you wish, Sakura-hime."

"I don't know if all of you are aware, but we defeated Princess Hinoka this morning, and officially declared her dead. Kamui sent her into exile, as this was the only way she could think of to save her life. Our ploy was discovered later on, but as far as we know, Princess Hinoka and some of her men managed to escape."

"Why are you telling us this?", Subaki asked. "From a military point of view, this doesn't make much sense."

"Patience. I will get there eventually. Princess Sakura, I don't know how familiar you are with the geography and climate of Nohr, but living conditions there can be harsh, and we must heavily rely on trade with more fertile regions to have enough food for all. The nobility, naturally, wasn't affected much, but the general populace would suffer from the harsh environment. When I was little, I was taught that the best way for Nohr to sustain its people would be to conquer the more fertile parts of the continent, and take their resources for ourselves. As a child, I did not question this.

"As I grew older, and saw more of the world, I began to think differently. I saw what my father's iron rule caused – how people would look at Nohrian soldiers with fear and hatred. That bothered me exceedingly, but even though I was crown prince, I could do nothing to change my father's ways. However, I vowed to myself I would be a better king than him one day.

"My 'father' might have wanted to rule the world, but I hold no such ambitions – Nohr is in a dire state, and I will need to focus all my time and resources on making it the place I want it to be – I simply do not have the time and resources needed to rule a country as big as Hoshido in addition. Princess Sakura, as your older sister, Princess Hinoka would be first in line to the throne. I want her to be the next queen of Hoshido."

Sakura was speechless. She hadn't expected this at all – it sounded too good to be real. Apparently, the others seemed to feel the same way.

"You want Hoshido to remain a sovereign nation? Forgive me, but that is a little hard to believe", Yukimura said.

"I could appoint a regent, but that seems like more trouble than it's worth. We have had our differences in the past – but I earnestly hope that we will be able to start over – we cannot change the past, but we can try to build a better future for all of us – together."

"So – y-you want H-Hinoka to come back and b-become queen?"

"Yes. Which is the part where I require your assistance – my men are not familiar with the lay of the land in these parts, and it might take a long time to find Princess Hinoka – and I would like to find her soon, preferably before she finds support for her cause somewhere and returns with an army. Anything you could tell me would be highly appreciated."

"You expect us to cooperate in what might well be an attempt to lure our princess into a trap?", Yukimura asked in disbelief. "How gullible do you think we are?"

"I am a man of my word", Xander replied. "And I give you my word that Princess Hinoka will not be harmed."

"How do we know you're not lying?"

"Do you really think us capable of something as despicable as that?"

"You lured King Sumeragi into a trap and had him murdered, kidnapped Princess Kamui – which broke Queen Mikoto's heart, then turned her against us and also caused the death of Queen Mikoto. Need I go on?"

"Do not blame a child for his father's misdeeds!", Xander replied, his dark eyes burning.

Sensing danger, Sakura decided to try and intervene before Yukimura pushed Xander too far, and got himself killed – as she did think the Nohrians capable of murdering someone in cold fury.

"Yukimura-san, I-I think we should t-trust Prince Xander."

Yukimura glanced at her in pure disbelief.

"And why-ever would you say such a thing, Sakura-hime?"

"B-Because – I do believe P-Prince Xander h-holds a g-great deal on his h-honour – he apologised for what ha-happened at F-Fort Jinya earlier, you know. B-Besides, if they truly wanted Hinoka-onee dead, they w-would have k-killed her this morning, n-not sent her away."

"Indeed", Princess Camilla chimed in. "I had her at sword-point, so to say – I would have done it myself."

Sakura felt chilled to the bone upon hearing this – Camilla truly was cold-blooded.

She could see a flash of anger in Yukimura's eyes, but they remained fixed on Sakura.

"And you believe that?"

"Yes. Besides, I o-overheard some soldiers saying that K-King Garon's a-actions besmirched Pince X-Xander's name."

"That could have been arranged - "

"Yukimura-san, please! What if Hinoka-onee does return with an army and starts another w-war, and – and she was k-killed? I don't think I c-could bear it..."

"So you want to risk trusting them to keep things from escalating? Is that it?"

"Y-Yes. And I do believe him. They h-haven't done anything to h-harm me so far, either."

Yukimura pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hana-san, Subaki-san? What do you think?"

"While the thought of trusting and working together with the Nohrians appals me, I do believe Sakura-hime's words have merit. Besides, they would probably start looking for Hinoka-sama with or without our help, and might even locate her – knowing Hinoka-sama, she would probably try to fight whoever found her, too", Subaki stated.

"I don't like any of this", Hana said, her brow furrowed. "Sounds like a really brilliant, evil scheme to me. However – if it is your wish to work together with them to try and recover Hinoka-sama, Sakura-hime, I will respect your decision, and do whatever I can to help."

"So you will help us, then?", the crown prince asked, his gaze moving from one person to the next.

"Yes", Sakura replied. "And I t-trust your word that you will n-not harm my s-sister."

"You can trust on my word", he replied gravely. "I vow that I will not let any harm come to Princess Hinoka."

"Well then, how c-can we h-help?"

"As mentioned earlier, we aren't familiar with the lay of the land around here, and have no idea where to look for her – perhaps some of you know where she might be headed in a case like this?"

Sakura looked away.

"I'm a-afraid I c-can't help with that."

Xander frowned, but Subaki spoke up before he could question her.

"I used to train together with Hinoka-sama when we were younger", he said. "It's safe to say I know a lot about how she thinks and acts. Probably more than anyone else here."

Yukimura nodded.

"I mainly worked together with Queen Mikoto, and the High Prince. I did not spend a lot of time with the younger ones of the royal children, and, given that she is Sakura-hime's retainer, Hana-san doesn't know Hinoka-sama very well, either."

"Very well, then. Tell us what you know."

"It would make sense for Hinoka-sama to try and seek sanctuary and maybe military aid – Izumo might be a good candidate for that, provided the archduke would be willing to forsake his land's neutrality. Alternatively she could try to find assistance in places that are ruled by Nohr, but are opposed to said rule, such as Cheve. I doubt she would go to Mokushu – that would be far too risky, given how they betrayed us only recently.

"However, I doubt she would pick any of those obvious choices – we were trained, among other things, to always try and do something the enemy wouldn't expect – to be unpredictable on the battlefield."

"So you believe she might go somewhere we wouldn't expect her to go, with the exception of Mokushu", Leo surmised.

"Correct."

"Then how on earth are we going to find her? It seems impossible to determine where she would go!"

"Have you considered simply following her trail?", Subaki suggested.

"How are we going to find the trail of a pegasus?", Leo exclaimed in exasperation.

"Was Hinoka-sama the only one to survive the battle?", Yukimura asked.

"No", Camilla replied. "Several of her men were still alive, and we let them go."

"Were some of them footsoldiers?", Subaki inquired.

"Yes", Kamui answered. "Asama and Setsuna were with them, too."

"Well then, there you have it. Hinoka-sama would never leave any of her men behind, not even to save her own neck – and they would leave a trail. Another thing – if I were in her position, I would first try to find some-place to hide and lay low for a while – her men must've been worn out or even wounded, so I would head for the mountains – there's some to the north-west and some to the south. The mountain paths can be treacherous – which is part of the reason they became a part of the defences of Castle Shirasagi."

"I see – I will send out search parties tomorrow", Xander decided.

"Tomorrow? We'd lose precious time if we wait that long!", Leo protested.

"We need to organise the search parties – find men willing to depart so soon after winning a war, and make sure to pick some that will follow our orders precisely – we don't need a repetition of what happened at the Bottomless Canyon – it's what got us into this whole mess to begin with."

"What exactly happened back there?", Yukimura asked. "I was only told Nohrian forces were attacking our positions."

"The imposter had ordered Kamui to inspect a supposedly abandoned fort to prove her worth – Hans was sent with her to protect her, but apparently, he had had received orders from the imposter to provoke a fight", Camilla explained. "It all went completely out of hand."

"What's that 'imposter' you keep talking about?", Hana asked, her brow furrowed.

"A creature pretending to be our father", Elise replied angrily. "Kamui and I never knew the real Garon."

"And you expect us to believe something as ridiculous as this?", Yukimura asked.

"You can choose to believe us, or not. It doesn't matter", Xander replied. "Princess Sakura, there is one last thing I must ask of you."

"Um – what i-is it?"

"I would like to borrow these three to accompany the search parties – they might help keep the situation from escalating, should one of the search parties manage to locate Princess Hinoka. Additionally, I do believe she will be more willing to believe them than my men. I will also appoint three of our retainers the leaders of these search parties, to make sure everything will go according to plan."

Sakura didn't like this plan one bit. She had only just gotten Hana and Subaki back, and now they were to leave again? This wasn't fair!

Then she reminded herself that she was a Princess of Hoshido, and that she had a duty to fulfil – and, knowing Hinoka, she would probably attack Nohrians on sigh and refuse to listen to anything they might have to say.

Still, she hated it.

"Very well", she said. "Your w-words have m-merit."

"Thank you."

"But, Sakura-hime!", Hana exclaimed. "Will you be all right on you own?"

"I will be. D-Don't worry about m-me. Just m-make sure you bring back Hinoka-onee s-safely, all right?"

"I promise I will. I swear on my father's grave that I will not disappoint you again."

"I have a stipulation to make", Yukimura said.

"Name it."

"I want our possessions and weapons returned to us. I will not walk all the way to the mountains, much less unarmed."

"Sounds reasonable. I grant your request – I'll have your belongings brought here as soon as I am able."

"Then we are in agreement."

"Good. Make sure to get a good night's sleep – you'll need to be well-rested for tomorrow. I'll brief you in the morning – we'll met here at first light. Don't be late."

"Understood. By your leave?"

"By all means."

Sakura watched with a sinking heart as her friends and Yukimura disappeared into the castle. She suddenly felt very forlorn.

"Princess Sakura, I think it would do you good to retire as well", Xander stated. "It has been a long day, after all."

"Um – a-all right. B-but - "

"What is it?"

"I – I h-have one more question."

"Speak."

"Um – what h-happened to – to the b-bodies?"

"I had the ones in town moved to a field nearby, and the ones inside the castle to a larger hall near the throne room, as we didn't know how you treat your dead. You can see them tomorrow, if you like."

"I see."

"Ah, another thing – most of my men will be staying at the camp, but is there a place in town where we and the commanding officers could stay?"

"The guest w-wing. Ask the s-servants."

"Thank you. Now, go", Xander added, almost softly. "We shall speak again tomorrow."

Unsure about what else to do, Sakura bowed to him before making her exit as quickly as possible, just wanting to get to the safety of her rooms.

"Kaze!", Kamui called.

Sakura was startled to see the treacherous ninja appear by her side.

"Accompany Sakura to her rooms, and assign someone to look after her – if she doesn't already have her own servants, that is."

"Consider it done."

Sakura resumed walking, assuming Kaze was following behind her – she couldn't hear him, and that unnerved her greatly.

She chose the shortest way to her quarters, fearful of what she might see if she wandered into the parts of the castle that had been part of the battlefield. She saw the expressions of many servants and court officials light up with joy when they spotted her – only to turn to frowns or sneers when they noticed her "companion".

Halfway to her room, Sakura stopped dead and announced that she would like to take a bath.

"Of course, Sakura-hime", Kaze replied.

Sakura changed direction and Kaze instructed a servant in passing to notify Sakura's attendant.

Sakura could tell just how happy Ai was to see her again, and she greatly enjoyed her servant's ministrations, and basking in the hot water. By the time she was done, all those dark thoughts of war and death had almost disappeared.

They came flooding back in when she spotted Kaze waiting just outside the baths, however.

Ai pointedly ignored him as she fell into step behind Sakura. Kaze seemed unhappy about his treatment, but decided to remain quiet.

As Sakura waited for Ai to slide open the door to her quarters, Kaze seemed to be mustering the courage to say something, however, Sakura was not in the mood to talk to traitors in that particular moment, and went inside before he could say something, and Ai shut the door in his face.

Sakura let out a deep breath.

"Sakura-hime, are you all right?", Ai asked cautiously.

"Unharmed, yes. Other than that..."

"I see. So, what's going to happen now? Did they – did they let you go?"

"I honestly don't know – they'll send out search parties for Hinoka-onee tomorrow, and Subaki, Hana and Yukimura-san will go with them. Prince Xander gave me his word he won't harm her – he said he wants her to become queen of Hoshido. But – I don't know what they plan on doing with me."

"You think they might use you as a hostage or something like that?"

"Possibly – they took K-Kamui, after all. I – I was very surprised they didn't execute me..."

"Well, that could be a sign that Prince Xander truly intends to let Hinoka-sama rule Hoshido – otherwise, keeping you alive would be risky, wouldn't it."

"Y-Yes. They would have to make sure no-one would be able to rescue me – maybe move me to Nohr so I couldn't be used in a rebellion of sorts."

"Makes sense – so, we'll have to wait and see how things play out."

"Yes. We must tread carefully. They might change their minds about me, if I give them a reason to."

"I shall keep it in mind, Sakura-hime."

Sakura nodded.

"I shall retire for the night – I feel terribly tired."

"Of course. I pray that you will be able to rest well."

"Thank you."

Sakura went into her bedroom and shut the door, then had a look around. Everything looked exactly like it had when she had left for Izumo along with her siblings – their short stay there had been the only time all members of both royal families had been present, though it had been far from a pleasant event.

The dolls that represent her siblings, dolls she spent many hours working on, were sitting right where she had left them – and Sakura felt profoundly glad she hadn't taken them with her on the trip – she didn't think she would have been able to bear it if the Nohrians had seen them – especially the ones of Azura and Kamui.

Sakura grabbed all of her dolls – including the ones of the two traitorous sisters – and slipped under the covers of her futon, cradling the dolls to her chest.

* * *

 **A/N:**

The Japanese language doesn't know plural endings, so the Hoshidans don't use them – the Nohrians, however, don't know that, and thus speak of "ninjas", for example.

 **Glossary**

kami – god(s)

hime – beautiful woman, princess

ai – love

futon – Japanese bed, a mattress sitting on the floor


	2. In Which There Is a Discussion or Two

**A/N:**

Since I forgot to state the obvious and let you all know that I don't own Fire Emblem when I posted the first chapter, let me rectify this by telling you that I, obviously, don't own Fire Emblem. This disclaimer applies to all chapters, naturally.

* * *

It was late when Kamui and her siblings gathered in Xander's rooms to discuss the events of the day. After each of them had picked a room in the guest wing, the mages – including Leo, Camilla and Elise – had warded the entire area, to make sure there wouldn't be any "surprise visits" during the night. No-one would put it past the Hoshidans to try and get rid of their unwanted "guests" in an underhanded manner.

"The Hoshidans would probably laugh if they managed to just kill us in our sleep", Leo had said. "I can live without that."

After that, they had organised search parties – it had been agreed that at least one retainer per royal would stay behind.

They had decided to pair Yukimura, who obviously disliked Nohrians, with Effie, who didn't care about such things. That made Arthur unavailable – though Kamui was pretty certain that poor man wouldn't be able to find Hinoka even if she was standing right in front of him.

Peri had been ruled out as a leader due to her violent nature – even Xander agreed that it would be a bad idea to have her chase after Hinoka, so that left Laslow. Likewise, Camilla thought that Beruka's reticent nature wouldn't help things, and had volunteered Selena. Leo had had concerns about Odin or Niles to be the right people for the job – Odin's strange way of speech could drive anyone up the wall, and Niles had troubles behaving himself properly – and would probably only rile Hinoka up.

It was therefore decided to pair Laslow with Subaki – as he wouldn't be tempted to flirt with him – and Hana with Selena, hoping those two would manage to get along – no-one was willing to put Hana and Laslow on the same team.

"I want everyone's honest opinion on everything that happened today, in particular the events concerning the Hoshidans", Xander said.

"Unexpected is what I would sum it all up as", Leo replied. "To think that our father was being possessed by this monster came quite as a shock. And then there's Azura's disappearance."

"I'm worried about Princess Sakura", Elise said quietly. "Did you see how nervous she was? Reminded me of a trapped animal."

"Indeed", Kamui sighed. "When I first met her, I realised she was terribly shy and insecure, and it took her a while before she was able to have a conversation with me – but what I saw today was much worse than anything I've ever seen before."

"She probably thought she was going to be executed", Leo explained. "That would make even the strongest person tremble with fear."

"E-Executed?! Why?"

"That's what any conqueror trying to secure his reign would do. Kill anyone who could contest his claim."

"But Xander never planned on keeping Hoshido for himself!"

"Ah, but did she know that?"

Kamui's eyes flickered to Elise.

"I – didn't think it would be worth mentioning", Elise replied, sounding ashamed of herself. "I told her what happened in the throne room – including the bits about Takumi, but I didn't see the need to tell her we wouldn't execute her, since the thought had never crossed my mind..."

"Hm. You meant no ill", Leo stated. "But this doesn't change the fact that Princess Sakura didn't know what to expect, and that probably scared her most."

"She hid it well", Camilla chimed in. "If not for her constant fidgeting, she could have fooled me. She seems to be a brave person, that little princess."

"Indeed. She's around Elise's age, right? I don't think Elise would have handled such a situation quite as well."

"Leo, you're so mean!"

"Just telling the truth."

"That's enough bickering, both of you!", Xander ordered.

Leo and Elise fell silent.

"We'll need to come up with a story to tell everyone", Camilla said after a while. "People back home will ask questions about how their king died, and we'll need to have a good answer ready."

"I know", Xander replied heavily. "I haven't decided yet – I'll need to think on what we will say – and any possible consequences that might have."

"People might try to blame us for 'father's' death – believe we used the war as an opportunity to get rid of him", Leo warned.

"We could blame the Hoshidans", Camilla suggested.

"Out of the question. I intend to make a peace treaty with them at the least, form an alliance at best. Blaming them for the death of our king wouldn't work in our favour", Xander replied.

"Getting them to agree to anything of the sort might be hard", Kamui muttered. "It's just like Yukimura said – we don't really have the best record."

"I know – which is why I want all of you to use the time we have until Princess Hinoka arrives to try and convince the people here we're not nearly as bad as our reputation – in particular Princess Sakura. She seems to be good at reading people – if we manage to convince her that we mean well, this might get us a long way."

"I like the sound of that", Elise announced. "Oh, I forgot to mention earlier – there was an incident in town when I brought Princess Sakura to the castle – some of the people spotted her, and a woman tried to reach us. She was stopped and then attacked by some of our men – I stepped in and sorted it all out, and then offered to heal the woman. She declined, but I told her about the book I read, and how you should be kind to everyone."

Xander's brow furrowed.

"I'll need to have a word with that man tomorrow", he announced. "You did well, Elise – your actions might work in our favour – though you probably weren't thinking of that when you acted."

"I'm a healer. Healing is what I do."

Xander gave her one of his rare smiles.

"I don't think that Yukimura-fellow and Princess Sakura's retainers were quite willing to believe anything we had to say", Leo stated. "Maybe our retainers will be able to do some work on that front while they are on the road."

"Let's hope so. Yukimura could be trouble", Xander replied.

"So, does that mean we'll be staying here for a while?", Camilla asked.

"Yes. At the very least until Princess Hinoka returns. I want to make sure everything is in order when we leave."

"Then we need to do something about the bodies – we can't just leave them here."

"I have considered sending part of the army home as soon as possible, and have the men take the bodies with them. I was going to send some of the generals I trust."

"Sounds good", Leo replied.

"But – what about _his_ body?", Elise asked.

Xander frowned.

"I really don't know. The more people see it, the more will know the truth. I do want to give him a proper burial back home – he was our father once, after all."

"Hm... maybe we'll have some better ideas tomorrow", Camilla said. "There's no use in overthinking things now."

The door was slid open and Kaze slipped in.

"Welcome back!", Kamui greeted. "How was she?"

"Remarkably calm", the ninja replied. "She wanted to take a bath before going to her rooms, so I had her servant informed. The castle's inhabitants were very glad to see her – and much less so to see me. Princess, you should prepare yourself for similar reactions to your presence here."

Kamui sighed.

"It's like all their suspicions have been proven true. When I first came here, almost everyone thought me to be a spy. And then I turned traitor."

"I am worried about Princess Sakura", Kaze said quietly. "Earlier, in the courtyard, she looked as if she would fall apart at any moment."

"Has she always been this shy?", Xander asked.

"Yes. Shy, introverted, insecure. She tends to fidget a lot when she gets nervous, and she doesn't like talking to strangers – her nerves cause her to stutter, too."

"I thought that was adorable", Camilla said.

"It's a sign of severe anxiety, Princess Camilla", Kaze said in a reprimanding tone. "Princess Sakura was terrified."

"We figured as much", Elise replied quietly. "It wasn't our intention to make her feel uncomfortable."

"Kaze, I want you to continue to watch over Sakura", Kamui said. "Make sure no-one harms her in any way. I don't trust all of our men."

Kaze bit his lip.

"Princess Sakura wasn't exactly happy to have me around. I am, after all, a traitor, and a disgrace."

"Hm. Could you follow her unseen? I would feel a lot better if I knew she was being watched over."

"I can do that, however, I think it might be good to find a temporary guard for her until her retainers return."

"Good idea. We'll do that tomorrow."

Elise's stomach chose that moment to let out a deafening growl. Elise looked embarrassed.

"Oooops. Say, Kamui, is there any chance we could get something to eat?"

"I suppose I could check with the kitchens and see if we could get something", Kamui replied. "Jakob, Felicia, you two come with me."

"I can show you the way", Kaze offered.

"Thank you. By the way, did Sakura eat anything?"

"I believe she retired for the night already."

"Oh. And she probably won't be happy if we drag her out of bed to eat something, either..."

"She probably wouldn't be happy with anyone doing that, but especially not with us."

"Kaze, do you know if she ate well during the last couple of days?"

"From what I've heard, she did not. Grief and fear must've taken away her hunger and appetite."

"I see. Perhaps we could drop some hints while in the kitchen, so the servants will take care of it?"

"That might work – if we ordered them to do it, we would surely be met with resistance."

"All right, then. I'll come up with something good as we walk."

Their trip through the castle was unpleasant – some people were still out and about, and they were most certainly not happy to see them. They didn't say anything, but their looks spoke volumes. Also, Kamui had learned during her last stay here that bowing was a way to greet people, especially those of higher rank. And, since she was a princess, anyone she met who was not of royal blood would have to bow to her.

None of the people she met did.

It was that sign of disrespect that bothered her most.

All activity in the kitchen came to a stop when Kamui and her companions entered the room. The servants stared at them for a few moments before dipping into a bow as shallow as possible and murmuring greetings.

"We came to ask if there was some food left we could have", Kamui said.

The servants showed them to some of the pots, and Kaze examined them.

"I think most of that would be too spicy for Nohrians. Could we get something a bit more simple – some rice with fish, maybe, and some vegetables? Oh, and maybe some soup of the less spicy kind."

Servants began preparing dishes and loading them onto two trays. However, when one of them picked up the first tray, Jakob immediately took it from her.

"That's my job", he informed her in his usual haughty manner. "Felicia, take the other one – and try not to drop it. I don't think I could live with the shame."

Kamui decided now was the time to set her plan into motion.

"Kaze, do you think we should bring Sakura some food? I've heard she hasn't been eating properly recently, and she's so thin..."

"I believe Princess Sakura already retired for the night", Kaze replied. "We should probably not disturb her."

"I see – well, it's not like I even know what kind of food she likes – getting her her favourite dishes might motivate her to eat, you know."

"I'm sure she'll come around. We should probably just leave her be for now."

As they turned to leave the room, Kamui noticed the glances the servants exchanged as these new bits of information were being processed. Kamui was certain they would take it onto themselves to look after Sakura, and make sure she got as many helpings of her favourite foods as she wanted.

It made her feel a bit better about this whole mess.

Some of the looks they received on the way back were more curious than disdainful, but Kamui still couldn't relax until they had reached the guest wing.

Elise was almost bouncing with joy when she saw the food. Jakob and Felicia placed the bowls onto the low tables, and the siblings gathered around them.

Elise frowned.

"Where's the cutlery?"

"There isn't any. Hoshidans eat using chopsticks", Kamui replied, holding up a pair. "I can show you how to use them."

It had taken Kamui a while to master this way of eating food, and she never had been very good at it – yet watching her siblings struggle was kind of amusing. Elise got so frustrated after a while she threw her chopsticks down onto the tray and announced that this wasn't as fun as it had seemed at first.

"Darling, you have to eat", Camilla chided. "At least drink some of the soup."

"Did your dropping a hint in the kitchens work?", Xander asked.

"I believe so", Kamui replied. "The servants tried very hard not to show how affected they were by the news, but I believe they will try to pamper Sakura."

"Good. She'll need that."

Conversation was kept to a minimum, as handling this unusual kind of food kept everyone busy. Soon after Felicia and Jakob had cleared the bowls away, Xander announced that it was time for bed. Kamui didn't complain – she felt exhausted, in every possible way. As Kamui removed her armour and prepared for bed, she prayed to the gods that she wouldn't dream of this day's events – the last thing she wanted was to relive the deaths of her brothers.


	3. In Which the Search Parties Set Out

Xander had enjoyed every sunrise in Hoshido so far – the sheer beauty of it was overwhelming – but none had been quite as stunning as the one here at Castle Shirasagi.

He watched as the first rays of sunlight caressed the tiled roofs and trimmed hedges, and made everything glow in a soft light. It was breathtaking.

A few paces away, Yukimura was stuffing small knives and shuriken into his clothes, his strange machine sitting next to him. It fascinated Xander – he had no idea how exactly that that thing worked, but Hoshidan war machines seemed very different from the Stoneborn the Nohrian army used.

Hana seemed to be already done with her preparations – she didn't need anything apart from her sword, apparently.

Subaki was the last one to arrive – a groom led his pegasus, and several servants followed leading pack horses carrying provisions for the trip. Despite everything that had happened, Subaki moved with an aura of elegance and confidence that was almost baffling. His armour and uniform were spotless, as was the gear of his pegasus. He was very good at creating the image of a perfect knight.

The teams were assembling, and Xander briefed the three Hoshidans on what had been discussed the night before. They didn't object to any part of the plan, though it seemed right away that Selena and Hana would have a rough start.

Xander wished them a swift success before returning inside – it was only then that he realised that Sakura wasn't present.

This puzzled him at first – given their almost tearful reunion the previous evening, Xander had expected her to come and see her friends off – then again, she might not be an early riser, or simply too worn out to get up so early in the morning.

However, when he joined his siblings for breakfast in one of the larger rooms overlooking one of the inner courtyards, there was still no trace of the Hoshidan princess.

The others had apparently dismissed the Hoshidan servants, and Felicia was busy taste-testing the food. Jakob was hovering nearby, a restore staff at the ready.

Suddenly, Felicia's eyes went wide, and she gasped.

"Poison?", Jakob asked, alarmed.

"I don't think so", Felicia rasped, "but it burns. Worse than a blizzard."

Jakob handed her a cup, and she drained it in one go.

"Hoshidans seem to like spicy food", Kamui observed. "They made sure not to give me anything too spicy after they found out I wasn't used to it."

"Has anyone seen Princess Sakura this morning?", Xander asked as he took his place at the table.

"No", Leo replied. "She hasn't been in here yet."

"Hm. Strange. I had expected her to want to see her retainers off – but she never showed up. Jakob, fetch me one of the servants."

A quick inquiry soon revealed that Sakura hadn't been seen leaving her quarters at all this morning. Xander frowned. Was she starving herself now? This was bad – if her health got worse or – heaven forbid – she were to die while they were still here, the Hoshidans would surely lay the blame squarely at their feet, and he could forget about his treaty and his alliance.

"I'll go check on her", Kamui muttered. "She has to eat something."

"Patience", Leo advised. "If we push her, she might just retreat into her shell and never come out again. This issue must be handled with delicacy."

"Oh, and I guess you would know all about that, wouldn't you. Ice prince."

Leo lifted an eyebrow.

"You would have just barged in and demanded that she eat something, dragon princess."

Xander tried to tune his bickering siblings out. He really didn't want to have to deal with this kind of thing so early in the morning...


	4. In Which Sakura Has a Visitor

**A/N: Since the chapter I posted this morning was very short, here's another, longer one.**

* * *

In an attempt to distract herself, Sakura had busied herself with one of her favourite novels. Despite the fact that she was alone save for her servant, her posture was always perfect, her movements graceful. Unlike her sister, Sakura had constantly tried her hardest to be a perfect lady, but often felt she paled in comparison to her mother, who had been the embodiment of kindness, grace and elegance.

Her plan was working so far, and Sakura was so lost in the book she was only roused from her thoughts when Ai coughed to get her attention.

"Sakura-hime, you have a guest."

Sakura thought that Ai looked rather pale, and the reason for that was not hard to spot.

"Take off your shoes!", Sakura blurted out.

Ai looked ready to faint.

Xander raised an eyebrow.

Sakura's brain managed to catch up with her mouth, and she wished the ground would just open up and swallow her.

"I-I'm s-so sorry, I-I d-didn't m-mean t-to..."

She broke off, fearful of making things only worse if she kept talking, and praying that she hadn't just signed her own death sentence.

"You don't wear shoes inside?", Xander inquired, his face as calm and stoic as ever.

"N-No."

"What do you wear, then?"

"T-Tabi."

Sakura shifted, allowing her right foot to peek out from underneath her to show him what a tabi looked like.

Xander frowned.

"We don't have anything like that in Nohr. Then again, you would probably get cold feet if you ran around the Krakenburg wearing only that..."

Sakura nodded despite having no idea what he was talking about, feeling profoundly glad that he didn't seem angry, and hoping that maybe, she would be allowed to keep her head.

She would really have to be more careful.

Xander surprised her by dropping to one knee and beginning to unbuckle the armour strapped to his right leg. Guessing what he was up to, Sakura ordered Ai to find some tabi for him. Ai seemed glad to have an excuse to leave the room.

By the time she returned, Xander was done removing his boots, and had made himself at home on the floor. Sakura found that he looked very out of place, sitting in her receiving room like that...

Ai handed him a pair of black tabi with a respectful bow, and Sakura bit down on her lips to keep herself from telling Xander that he had to use both hands when handing something over in order to do it properly.

Xander examined the tabi closely before exchanging them for what he had been wearing underneath his boots.

"Could you arrange for these to be taken to my quarters, Princess Sakura?", he asked.

"O-Of course. Ai?"

"Right away."

With another bow, the servant disappeared again.

Xander shifted a bit to find a slightly more comfortable position.

"Those tabi don't seem to be suited for the outdoors", he observed.

"They aren't."

"Then what do you wear when you decide you want to go outside?"

"You m-mean outside a-as in the g-gardens, or for a s-stroll?"

"Yes."

"We wear g-geta. Or zori. Or setta."

Xander blinked.

"What are those?"

"Um – they all come f-from different regions. Z-Zori are made f-from straw, a-and are preferred in m-more arid regions – they w-will soak up w-water, you know. Geta a-are made from w-wood, and it's l-like walking on poles. S-Setta are s-similar to zori, but h-have a l-leather sole that makes them m-more resistant to w-water and snow."

"I see. I know next to nothing about Hoshidan traditions and customs... Please tell me, should I make a mistake – I do not wish to offend anyone out of ignorance."

Sakura nodded, while at the same time deciding she would do no such thing – she was still fearful of incurring his wrath.

"Another thing – I don't know why you did it, but you are _not_ required to bow to me. I won't feel insulted if you don't do it."

Sakura blinked. She had mostly done it out of habit – falling back onto something that had been ingrained into her since she had been small had helped her in that moment. However, she could see how her bowing to him could send a wrong message to others – she had seen Nohrians bow to their lords before, but had no idea if this didn't have a different meaning.

"I sh-shall keep it in m-mind."

Xander nodded.

"You were missed at breakfast", he said after a while. "Kamui was about to storm in here and make you eat something."

Sakura frowned at that. Why on earth did Kamui care about something as trivial as this? It was none of her business whether or not Sakura ate, and where she decided to do that.

"I h-had some food brought to m-my rooms – I w-wasn't feeling t-too well."

In truth, Sakura simply hadn't known if she would be allowed to leave her rooms, and thought it more prudent to just wait inside her quarters.

And she hadn't really been ready to meet the Nohrians again, if only by chance.

"I see. We would like for you to eat with us – if that is not asking too much of you, that is."

Sakura wanted to flat-out refuse – but thought it better to say she would think about it. Xander seemed to find that sufficient.

"One more thing – have you considered looking for a temporary replacement to act as your guard, until your retainers return?"

Sakura blinked.

"I haven't – d-do you think I should?"

"Yes. I'm afraid some of the men who marched with the imposter are quite violent, and I'd rather not have them come across you alone and unarmed. Besides, it might put your people at ease if they saw that you were being watched over by someone you trust. I could, of course, assign some of my men I know would carry out every order I gave them faithfully as your guard, but I fear that might cause trouble."

"W-Well... You do h-have a point. Though I d-don't know where I could find someone s-suitable..."

"I could ask Kamui to lend you Kaze – I'm certain he could find you a decent guard. Or you could ask some of your courtiers – though I can't say how good they are at selecting a guard."

Sakura bit her lip. She didn't want Kaze around at all – he was a traitor, and yet he'd been trying to be nice to her the previous evening – it was maddening. However, Xander's words had merit – and she knew that Kaze was a very capable ninja.

"P-Perhaps – perhaps I'll ask for several opinions, and t-try to p-pick someone b-based on that", she suggested.

"Good idea. You have our blessing to proceed in whatever manner seems best to you – just make sure you don't take too long in picking someone. We are keeping the more violent soldiers in camp and try to monitor them, but we can't be sure that we will be able to keep tabs on them at all times. Also, we haven't informed all of our men of our plans yet – some might think we are too soft-hearted to kill you ourselves, and decide to do us a 'favour'."

"Um – what h-happened to H-Hans?"

"He took a stand against us alongside Iago – I took great pleasure in purging the stain he put on my honour. I killed him myself."

"I s-see."

"You don't seem too pleased."

"I – you k-killed one of your own m-men, and y-yet - "

"And yet?"

"It d-doesn't seem to a-affect you at a-all!"

"Hans was a criminal, princess. We believe he was solely released to sabotage Kamui's first mission, and cause a fight with your men stationed at the Bottomless Canyon. He should have been executed for his crimes a long time ago."

Sakura made no reply. It seemed that every time she said something, she said something wrong.

She was surprised when she thought she heard Xander sigh, but dismissed it as that having been just her imagination. She couldn't picture someone like Xander sighing, ever.

They lapsed into a rather uncomfortable silence after that, until Xander shifted again – he was apparently unable to sit still, or maybe just not used to sitting on the floor – Kamui had mentioned once that Nohrians almost always sat on chairs or benches, while Hoshidans usually used them for work, or for old people, who could no longer sit seiza on the floor.

Sakura was about to offer him a cushion when he spoke up.

"Could I ask you to show me around? I am truly curious about Hoshidan culture and art."

"Um – sure."

Sakura rose gracefully to her feet while Xander got up with a notable lesser amount of elegance. Then, he surprised Sakura by sliding the door open, and gesture for her to go outside first.

"It is custom in Nohr for the man to open the doors for a lady", he explained when he saw her surprise.

"I s-see. In Hoshido, servants d-do that."

"Hm. Yours has been gone for a while – I probably frighten her too much."

He didn't seem overly concerned by that, which only solidified her opinion of the Nohrian royals being cold-blooded monsters (with maybe the exception of Elise). Sakura was not a suspicious person by nature, but she was certain that Xander was only being so civil to her because he wanted something. Flattery could get a person far, if used correctly.

Even though Xander had left his greaves behind, he was still wearing armour, and carrying that monstrous sword of his – another thing about him that was scary. Sakura thought that it had nothing on Raijinto's elegance, and tried her hardest not to look at it.

She suddenly noticed that he seemed less tall without his boots than before – he wasn't towering over her as much as he had earlier.

She led Xander through the castle at a leisurely pace, feeling the need to show him all the beautiful things Hoshidans had crafted, showing off the country he had violated.

It was her very own form of revenge.

"D-Did you find Azura y-yet?", she asked after a while.

"No", Xander replied, a deep frown on his face. "My men will continue to search the castle and its surroundings today, but by now, I fear the worst..."

"Oh. I s-see."

"Were you close?"

"Azura w-was family."

"That's – interesting. When Kamui was brought home by the imposter, Camilla and I were instructed to treat her as our sister – we eventually learned that her memory had been wiped, though it took a long time until we understood everything about her situation. Elise and Leo were at first blissfully unaware and thought that Kamui was their blood sister – we had to tell them eventually, and make sure they wouldn't tell Kamui anything – for that would have meant their deaths."

"W-Was she h-happy?"

"She was happy whenever we came to see her. She was kept away from court – for her protection, as was the official reason. In truth she was probably isolated to keep her from finding out about her heritage. We tried to visit her as often as our duties would allow, and I taught her swordplay. We came to truly care for her eventually, and have always wanted for her to be happy, and safe."

"I see. Um – why were y-you surprised earlier when I s-said that we t-treated Azura as family?"

"Azura was, as far as I know, kidnapped in retaliation for Kamui's kidnapping – and, from our point of view, to be used as a hostage. The monster never seemed too bothered by that idea – he was probably glad to be rid of her, given how much she apparently knew about him. What I was trying to say is – it would be strange for your family to treat a political hostage as one of your own."

"Oh. I see. Well, I d-don't think m-mother ever thought of h-her that way – she l-loved Azura with all her heart, just as she loved us. Ryoma and H-Hinoka thought of her as a sister. Takumi – Takumi didn't g-get along well with p-people in g-general, and he never l-liked her. He w-wasn't the only one, though – m-many thought Azura was a s-spy."

"But in overall, she was happy here?"

"I b-believe so. She once t-told me that she w-would never want to return t-to Nohr, as she hadn't b-been happy there..."

"The people at court didn't like her, or her mother... You see, Azura is actually my step-sister, she arrived at the Krakenburg when she was still a young child. Father fell in love with Arete and married her on the spot, which angered a lot of the women at court..."

"I n-never knew", Sakura whispered. "W-Well, something similar happened when my father m-married Mikoto."

"Mikoto wasn't your birth mother, was she."

"No. Kamui w-was her only ch-child."

"Hm. What a strange coincidence."

They continued on in silence for a while before Xander asked a question totally unrelated to their tour.

"I've noticed that the people here call you 'Sakura-hime' – what does that mean?"

"Well, in Hoshido, we address p-people by adding a s-suffix to their n-name – there are many d-different suffixes to choose from, and which o-one you use d-depends on your r-relationship or connection to the person you're a-addressing."

"Go on."

"Um – I believe you can r-roughly separate them into three m-main categories: suffixes used for people you're c-close to, s-such as friends, f-family, or comrades. Then there's the o-ones for addressing p-people of higher s-standing, people you r-respect. And then there's one used f-for all the people n-not fitting into the first two categories.

"The w-word 'hime' o-originally meant 'b-beautiful woman', but b-became a synonym for 'princess'. Therefore, 'Sakura-hime' means 'P-Princess Sakura'. Now, if someone didn't know m-my name, only that I w-was a princess, he could a-address me as 'hime-sama' – that w-would mean 'princess'."

"So you basically add a suffix to another suffix? Did I get that right?"

"Un. Yes."

"I see. So, what's the suffix for 'prince', then?"

"There isn't o-one. A p-prince would be addressed a-as 'sama', just as everyone o-of higher standing. You m-might have noticed that m-my retainers c-called Hinoka-onee 'Hinoka-sama'."

"Now that you mention it, they did. Is there a reason for that?"

"She has a-always – that is, as long as I can r-remember – been t-training to b-become a strong warrior. She abandoned the t-typical education a princess receives, and s-saw herself m-more as a soldier than a p-princess. She p-preferred it that way, and p-people obliged her. Hinoka-onee g-gave up on becoming a proper l-lady a long t-time ago."

"Hm... I imagine it will be a challenge for her, then, becoming queen of a kingdom."

"P-Probably, since she w-was never trained f-for that – then again, I d-don't think I'd fare much better, even though I a-always tried to be a perfect lady..."

Xander glanced at her thoughtfully.

"So, according to what you told me, I would be addressed as Xander-sama."

"Correct."

"That sounds very strange."

Sakura suppressed a chuckle.

"Oh, I d-don't know if that's been an issue, b-but – it's considered a g-great sign of i-intimacy to c-call someone just by their n-name, without a s-suffix. Don't do that. When in d-doubt, just use 'san'. Addressing someone you're n-not close with without a s-suffix is very r-rude."

"I shall keep that in mind. I have also noticed that you always refer to your sister as 'Hinoka-onee' – does that mean 'sister'?"

"Yes. Well, 'big sister', actually. 'Nee' is the word for s-sister, and you can use the s-suffixes 'chan', 'san' or 'sama', depending on your r-relationship. The same goes f-for 'nii', which means brother."

"That sounds very complicated."

"Y-You don't h-have to memorise a-all that – no-one would be o-offended if you d-didn't know which s-suffix to use in which s-situation... You c-can just use the same t-titles you a-always use."

"Hm. Thank you for telling me all of this."

A little while later, Sakura stopped to show Xander some paintings depicting important scenes from Hoshidan history before making a detour towards the baths.

"The c-castle was built a-around some natural h-hot springs, and the w-water is said to have h-healing properties."

Xander lifted an eyebrow.

"Healing properties?"

"Well, you p-probably shouldn't go in i-if you're b-bleeding from a w-wound or something, b-but our scientists s-say there's something in the w-water that's beneficial t-to us."

"I see. Natural hot springs sound practical – we need to heat water every time we want to take a bath. Is there just one bath, or are there sections?"

"There a-are three sections – for f-families, men and w-women. You c-can usually tell if the baths are occupied, a-and come back later – though people normally d-don't mind if y-you join them."

"Interesting. That kind of thing would be unthinkable in Nohr."

"P-People would u-understand if y-you wanted privacy."

"Hm. Anything else we need to pay attention too?"

"Um – make sure to w-wash properly before g-going into the w-water, so it won't become p-polluted."

"Another strange thing – we use bathtubs in Nohr, and the water is just drained after use."

"B-Bathtubs. Such a strange w-word."

They walked in silence for a while as Sakura tried to build up enough courage to address Xander – she had found it was much easier to do when she was describing something, like a vase or a statue.

After a while, she realised she'd begun fidgeting with the long sleeves of her kimono, and tried to stop – though she didn't really know what else to do with her hands.

"Um – th-there's something I h-had wanted to discuss with y-you, P-Prince Xander..."

"What is it?"

"I w-was notified that you d-dismissed the servants wanting to s-serve you d-dinner last night, and breakfast th-this morning. The servants w-were – upset y-you would not a-allow them to do their d-duty."

Xander sorted, sounding amused.

"Pride in a servant! You live and learn."

Sakura stopped, and turned to face him.

"E-Every man h-has his pride, be he peasant o-or king."

Xander regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

"I suppose so. Know then that we did not dismiss your servants because we wanted to insult them, or believe them to be incapable of doing their job properly. It was our fear that they might try to poison us."

"Oh. I s-see. That's not t-too absurd, I'm afraid..."

"And there I thought Hoshidans valued honour so much", he said, a little mockingly.

"Y-You will find bad p-people everywhere – though we t-try to weed them out, o-of course. However – many m-might justify their actions by s-saying they were a-acting in defence of o-our country."

"Hm. I can see that."

"I-Is that the reason you w-want m-me to eat with y-you? T-To serve as a d-deterrent?"

"No. At the very least, it wasn't our first or main reason – though it might have that effect. For one, it would keep Elise and Kamui off my back – I am certain they will demand a detailed report on what you had for breakfast the next time I see them."

Sakura frowned, but decided to keep quiet. Kamui was still fussing over her? After everything that had happened, and after she hadn't been brave enough to come see her when she had been a prisoner?

"Our main objective is to work towards our goal of reconciliation – if you never get to know us, you will always view us as monsters who invaded your homeland and slaughtered your family – as will your people. They will teach their children to hate us, and so it will continue... If we want to change the way this world works, we'll have to make an effort.

"If you are absolutely opposed to eating with us, I will not force you – but I believe it would be in the interest of both our nations."

"I – I'll consider it."

"Good."

Sakura continued their tour towards the inner courtyards and gardens, and stopped at a smaller one.

"This is a zen-garden. It i-is one of the b-best spots in the e-entire castle for m-meditation."

"What is meditation?", Xander asked, frowning.

Sakura stared at him. Xander stared back, and Sakura realised with a start she was being rude.

She quickly looked away.

"Um – m-meditation is a t-technique that a-allows one to connect with the w-world around a-as well as with your o-own self. You don't think, y-you don't feel, you just _are_. You l-listen to the world around you, a-all the small sounds a-and everything... It's v-very calming when you a-are under a l-lot of pressure, o-or just need s-some answers... Some p-people meditate daily, like m-monks. M-Magic-users also m-meditate to increase th-their powers."

"Is that so... I would have never guessed that sitting around doing nothing might make you more powerful."

"W-Well, I h-haven't made that e-experience myself, b-but I know many p-people who swear i-it's true."

"I see. Interesting. I studied magic as a child myself, but I never heard of anything like that."

"Y-You did? A-Are there m-many magic-users in y-your family?"

"There were some prominent ones, yes – the previous wielders of Brynhildr, the tome Leo is using. I was the only one among my siblings who chose not to use magic in battle – I instead focused on the sword, and was chosen by Siegfried. Which is a good thing – I don't think I would have been able to make much use of Brynhildr, had Siegfried chosen Leo instead."

"I s-see. Ryoma was chosen by Raijinto, I was told – and the Fujin Yumi chose Takumi. I saw that with my o-own eyes."

"You were probably too small when your eldest brother was chosen."

"Apparently, R-Raijinto chose him at a v-very young age, that m-might have even been before I w-was born."

As they continued their tour, Sakura feared that she would soon run out of things to show him – she wasn't sure just how many paintings, vases and statues Xander actually wanted to see, and she was terrified of boring him.

"There's something that has been puzzling me for a while", Xander suddenly said. "Why were you at Fort Jinya when we marched on that place? You knew we were coming, after all – there would have been enough time to for them to send you back to the capital – I would have never thought your brother would put someone like you in charge of an outer defence post."

Sakura winced. She already knew she was inadequate, there was really no reason for him to rub it in like that...

"I would have never put Elise into such a position", Xander added, almost as an afterthought. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"W-Well – I was scheduled to deliver supplies to our t-troops stationed at the fort, mainly medical s-supplies and food", Sakura replied. "The p-plan had been to leave in time to a-avoid a direct c-confrontation between my men and the a-advancing army, b-but you arrived m-much sooner than anticipated... We couldn't just abandon the m-men, so I decided t-to stay and f-fight. Yukimura-san assumed c-command, and w-we tried our b-best to hold the fort..."

"Why did you let him assume command? You outrank him – you should have commanded your troops."

"T-True, but I've never b-been taught h-how to direct t-troops in battle – I was n-never intended to p-participate in battles at all – I o-only know how t-to shoot b-because Takumi g-gave me l-lessons a-after I told him h-how useless I felt..."

Xander's permanent frown became even more pronounced.

"Why would you feel useless?"

"B-Because I c-can't fight."

"So? Not everyone has to be a fighter – an army, for example, needs many different kinds of people that contribute different things to its cause. Healers, for example, are an integral part of every unit, no matter how small. And it is a rare gift in Nohr – out of all my siblings, only one developed healing powers. You might not be the best fighter, Princess Sakura, but you have the power to save lives. That is an amazing gift."

"And yet, d-despite being so _g-gifted,_ as you c-call it, I w-was unable to hold the f-fort – couldn't even save the lives of m-my men! C-Couldn't save Ryoma or Takumi..."

"None of that was your fault."

"B-But! If only I had been s-stronger – Hinoka w-would surely have - "

"Even the strongest men can't win against numbers – I don't think your sister would have fared better. Even with the most powerful men in all of Hoshido by your side, you would not have been able to hold the fort forever. We didn't know it at the time, but our reinforces were very close. I doubt any help from the capital would have reached you in time. We would have worn down your defences eventually."

"A samurai suffering s-such a d-disgrace would have t-taken his own l-life", Sakura replied, agitated. "I c-couldn't even d-do that – c-couldn't even die for my people!"

"And what difference would your death have made?", Xander asked sharply. "We would have marched on regardless – but your sister would now have to grieve for three of her siblings, instead of two. Would you prefer that?"

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to hold in the tears threatening to spill – and she wasn't even sure why she was close to tears.

"I have seen many cases of trauma caused by fighting", Xander said quietly. "Many survivors blamed themselves for the deaths of their comrades, or the people they should have protected, and so on. Many had regrets, and many felt that going on with their lives was pointless – that they would be better off dead, or that they should have died in someone else's place. Tell me, would you want your retainers to sacrifice their lives to protect you?"

"N-No! Of c-course not."

"Do you think they would want you to sacrifice yourself?"

"N-No..."

"There is no point in dying. Even if you save someone else's life by giving yours, you will always leave behind people who will mourn for you. You should instead try your hardest to stay alive, to remain strong, no matter how hard it might be."

"Y-You make it s-sound so easy, P-Prince Xander..."

"Moving on is hard. The grief never really goes away – it will always be lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. But it will get easier with time – it will stop overshadowing the happy memories. But if you manage to pull through, then that means that you are truly strong. And I believe you can do it – you are much stronger than you might believe, Princess Sakura."

Sakura decided not to comment on that – she had no idea how someone like Xander, who was – as far as she knew – a fearless, powerful warrior, could call her "strong" – it just didn't make any sense.

She figured he might have just said all that to appease her, to calm her – she had been on the verge of tears, and she could imagine a number of reasons why he wouldn't want to have a crying little girl around.

They continued on in silence after that – Sakura had no idea what else she could tell him, and she surely wasn't in the mood for small talk – besides, she still feared that she might say something to upset him – she had already talked back to him several times in her anger – something she normally wouldn't do – and she really didn't want to push her luck.

However, the silence between them was starting to become oppressive, and it made Sakura very uneasy. She wanted to say something to ease the tension, but was worried she might pick a sensitive subject. She had no idea what kind of things Xander usually talked about, but guessed that those things were probably very different from the ones she would discuss with her retainers or siblings.

Not really wanting to drag this ordeal out, Sakura decided to head back in the direction of the guest wing, hoping to be able to drop him off there – worst case, she'd claim to be fatigued and retire to her rooms.

"Princess Sakura, there is something I need to discuss with you", Xander said at length.

"Um – do you w-want to go s-somewhere more p-private?"

"No. This will do just fine – I don't intend to keep what I am going to tell you a secret, so it doesn't matter if people find out about it by eavesdropping on us."

"Do you _w-want_ them to?"

"It wouldn't be counter-productive."

"I s-see."

Sakura interlaced her fingers to stop herself from fidgeting, and inclined her head slightly in Xander's direction to indicate that she was listening.

"I want you to act as regent until your sister returns to assume her duties as the next queen."

"M-Me? B-But – I d-don't know a-anything about r-ruling a c-country – I-I don't th-think I-I c-could - "

"No-one expects you to become a brilliant politician overnight", Xander cut across her ramblings. "If I wanted someone brilliant to rule Hoshido, I would appoint Leo as regent, but that would have its own problems. Being the youngest member of the royal family, you might not know this, but a royal court can usually function without the active participation of the monarch – it would, in fact, be cumbersome if a king or queen would have to approve of every single decision their underlings wanted to make – they would never get anything done that way. I am certain the court officials here will be able to manage on their own until your sister returns – you might have to make a decision or two, or sign some kind of papers, but I don't think they'll ask anything too difficult of you. Then again, being technically heir to the throne now, it might not be a bad idea for you to learn these things... What _is_ required of you – what the people need of you – is to be a representative of your country, to show them that you are still here, that your nation still exists. I believe you will be ideal for that role – from what I have gathered, you have a kind, caring disposition, and you are also a healer – you will be a perfect symbol to your people, someone they can look to for guidance. Besides, it's only temporarily. I do hope we will be able to find Princess Hinoka soon."

Sakura gave all that some thought. She had, of course, represented the country or the royal family before, but never on her own – her mother or one of her siblings had always been present, too, and Sakura had never been required to actually do much. Being regent without any of her siblings or Yukimura to rely on was a daunting prospect, and Sakura didn't think she was up to the challenge...

"Um – what w-would you d-do if I refused?"

"I would appoint one of your courtiers. I'd rather not, though."

"I see."

It truly seemed as if Xander really wanted for Hoshido to retain its independence – and that he was desperately trying to underline this by putting her on the throne, if only temporarily. Sakura had to admit that this was a lot more than she had ever dared to hope for. She had assumed she would be killed after the war ended, or used as a hostage... Not to be made regent with no strings attached, as far as she could tell.

"I – I want t-to try. I w-want to help my p-people."

"I'm glad to hear it. I would like to make a public announcement later – I plan on visiting our men in camp after lunch, to tell them what's happened and to keep rumours from spreading. I would come get you as soon as everything's ready, if that is all right with you."

Sakura nodded, while still trying to warp her head around what was going to happen. She was going to become Hoshido's regent! She, the shy, awkward Sakura, youngest of the royal family... it seemed all very surreal.

It was then that Sakura remembered that there was one more question that needed answering – and it might very well be the most awkward question of all times...

"Um – there's one m-more thing I h-have to a-ask."

"Go on."

"W-Well – y-yesterday was all v-very confusing, and I've b-been wondering... Am I – am I s-still your p-prisoner?"

Xander actually looked surprised at that, but recovered quickly.

"No. We actually released you yesterday – which is why Elise didn't bother to bind you – I do understand that this might not have been clear to you, what with everything that's been happening. You are not our prisoner, or anything like that. We will not tell you what to do, or interfere with Hoshidan affairs. I know I might be asking much if I say this, but – I would like you – and your people – to not regard us as conquerors, but rather something akin to guests. We certainly do not desire to play that part."

"I see", Sakura replied quietly. "That w-will be d-difficult, though."

"I understand. You need not force yourself, but I don't want you to look over your shoulder at all times, fearing what we might do to you, or your people."

"Um – how l-long do you intend to stay in H-Hoshido?"

"At least until your sister returns, though I will have to settle a few things with her – depending on how well that goes, we might be here for a while... I will be sending home a larger part of my army soon, though."

"I s-see."

Sakura made herself a mental note to speak to the palace staff about the resources that would be needed to host such a large number of people – Hoshido usually didn't have any shortage on such things, but with the war going on, the manner of distribution had changed, and she would have to make sure everything would be where it was needed with the war now over.

 _Looks like this will be my first task as regent – doesn't sound too difficult. I can do this!_

"If there should be anything else that you need or want to know, just ask. Always keep in mind that there are no foolish questions, only foolish answers."

Sakura nodded, before frowning slightly.

"Actually – you s-said yesterday that I could – that I could see the b-bodies today", she said quietly. "I would like to d-do that now."

Xander stopped and turned to face her, his dark eyes searching her face.

"Your brothers' bodies will be there, as well – are you certain you are ready for this?", he asked softly.

"Yes. I h-have to do this."

"Very well. I can show you the room they are in – but you will have to lead the way to the throne room."

"This way."

Sakura moved at a faster pace than before (walking very fast wasn't really possible while wearing a kimono, which was one reason Hinoka had disliked wearing them), since she was keen to get this over with. However, the closer they got to their destination, the slower she walked, until she was close to dragging her feet. Xander made no comment, but she could tell that he was watching her.

"We don't have to do this now", he finally said. "You can come back at any time, if you need more time to prepare yourself."

"No. Now i-is fine – I c-can do this. It's not like I've n-never seen dead p-people before."

"Very well. In here."

Xander slid the door open and stood back to allow her to enter first. Sakura's eyes took some time to adjust to the gloom inside, so she stopped near the door and took a look around.

Almost the entire hall was filled with bodies – men and women, Hoshidan and Nohrian alike. The Hoshidans lay to one side, the Nohrians to the other, and there was a kind of path in between. Sakura started walking, taking in the details as she went.

There were many young people among the Hoshidans – mostly new recruits. Ryoma had decided to keep them at the capital instead of sacrificing them in the field, hoping that they might not see any action at all. However, his plan hadn't worked out, and they all had fallen the day before...

It was then that Sakura noticed something strange. All the dead had their eyes closed, but there were no coins in sight – and they were clasping their weapons to their chests, their arms crossed over them. Sakura frowned at that.

"We did not know how you prepare your dead for burial", Xander said in a hushed voice. "I hope we did nothing to disrespect them."

Sakura shook her head.

"No-one w-would expect you to know h-how we bury our dead", she replied in an equally hushed tone. "You t-treated ours the same as y-yours – that was c-considerate of you."

She stopped dead when she spotted Kagero and Saizo – despite having known that they had died, it was still a shock to see them like this. Both had been elite warriors, and to think that even they had been defeated... it seemed so unreal.

Sakura took a deep breath, and moved on.

Xander followed at a respectful distance, apparently not wanting to disturb her.

She found Ryoma and Takumi near the other end of the hall, in the same position as all the other warriors – Ryoma was clasping Raijinto to his chest, and Takumi his Fujin Yumi.

Sakura's heart clenched painfully as she looked at her older brothers – they seemed to be only sleeping, but she knew better. And, even though she had accepted Takumi's death after the battle at the Great Wall, seeing him like this was still hard.

Takumi had been the sibling she had been closest to – they had been similar in many ways, and had started to look out for one another. Besides, Azura had often craved solitude, Ryoma had been busy with his duties as heir to the throne, and Hinoka had been obsessed with bringing back their lost sister – the sister who had decided to betray then, and to choose the family of her kidnapper over them.

Sakura could only begin to imagine Hinoka's anguish over this.

Suddenly feeling suffocated by her grief, Sakura turned away abruptly – only to let out a startled cry when she spotted the body of King Garon a few feet away.

"Ghastly, isn't it", Xander murmured, moving to stand by her side.

"Is this – i-is this the f-face your sister w-was talking about?", Sakura asked, horrified.

"Yes – Azura didn't manage to purge it completely, apparently. When they told us – she and Kamui, that is – the rest of us couldn't believe it – it seemed too absurd, too far-fetched. However, when we saw that creature sitting on the throne, oozing slime and mist onto the floor, we had no choice but to believe them. It was still hard to accept that this was what had become of my once proud father, though."

"I s-see. Um – what are you g-going to tell the p-people?"

"I honestly don't know... Taking into account how you and your retainers reacted to our story makes me believe that convincing people of the truth might be difficult – but we must come up with something, or some people at court might suggest that we used the war as an opportunity to get rid of our father so I could become king..."

Sakura looked at Xander, aghast.

"People w-would dare to s-suggest something like that?"

"Some might. Especially my father's mistresses. We will have to plan accordingly, just in case. I do not wish to deceive or lie to my people – or yours – I have considered maybe claiming that father was slowly descending into madness, that he never really recovered after Arete's death, and that he began seeing us as a threat to his reign, and therefore decided to end us. We might be able to pull that off, especially since I know my siblings will back me up, and not try to get me out of the way to be able to claim the throne for themselves."

"I see. Nohrian p-politics seem very c-complicated."

"Hm. There's usually a lot of subterfuge involved. I could do without that."

Sakura didn't really know what to say to that – she had never been taught anything about politics – being the youngest, she had never been handled as a possible candidate for the throne, so her education had been focused on other things. Sakura had always thought that she would be married off to some noble or other, or maybe to Izumo or Notre Sagesse – she had most certainly never expected to find herself heir to the throne one day...

"Sakura-hime!"

Xander and Sakura turned to face the newcomer, a court official, by the looks of him.

"And Prince Xander, too."

The man bowed to them, and Sakura inclined her head in greeting.

"What is it?", she asked kindly.

The man cast a nervous glance in Xander's direction, which didn't seem to bother the prince in the slightest.

"Well, after everything that happened yesterday, we weren't quite sure how to proceed – what to do. We still don't really know where we stand..."

"An official statement will be issued sometime in the afternoon", Xander replied. "However, you may ask any questions you might have – there is no need for utter secrecy in this matter."

"I see. Well, the most pressing issue is to arrange funerals – we need to return the fallen warriors to their home-towns so their families can bury them as soon as possible."

"Hm, seeing as how I don't know anything about Hoshidan death rituals, I fear I am ill-qualified to make a decision", Xander mused aloud.

Sakura took the hint.

"Well then, d-do we have resources to a-arrange for transport?"

"I believe so. Though we might not be able to give them all escorts."

"I see. Well, s-see to it."

"As you wish. With your permission, Sakura-hime, we will also begin funeral preparations for Ryoma-sama and Takumi-sama."

"What? B-But – Hinoka-onee isn't here – I th-think we should wait u-until she returns."

"With all due respect, Sakura-hime, we do not know when that will be. I can give you three days, at best, but by then, we will have to bury them – with or without your sister being present. We cannot keep the dead among the living."

"I know..."

Sakura bit her lip as she thought things through.

"Very w-well. You may begin preparations – we will hold the f-funeral the day after tomorrow."

"It will be done."

The courtier bowed again and left the hall. Sakura stood there, feeling a little forlorn.

Xander cleared his throat softly to get her attention.

"I understand you desire to have your sister by your side, but I believe your man is right – you should not wait too long."

"I know... Our r-rules state that a p-person who has d-died must be buried within three day's time. Though I had hoped we would be a-able to make an e-exception..."

"Your sister will understand. I am certain she would have acted the same way, had she been in your place."

Sakura made no reply – the thought of having to hold a funeral all by herself frightened her. She had been too small to remember her father's funeral, but her mother had been buried shortly after Kamui's betrayal, and Sakura had attended along with Ryoma, Hinoka and Takumi – Azura had already been missing at the time.

"I – I w-would like to l-leave now", she whispered instead.

"Very well."

Sakura was beginning to feel a little faint – she wasn't sure if it was related to the daunting prospects her future held, or seeing so many dead people – her brothers and that monstrous Garon among them – but she just wanted to escape.

Once outside, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"Princess, you look pale", Xander said, reaching for her arm.

Sakura flinched away from his touch, her eyes downcast.

"I'm not f-feeling too w-well – I think I'll r-retire for now."

"Does that mean you will not be having lunch with us?"

"I d-don't feel like e-eating anything at the moment."

"I see. I will excuse you, and keep my sisters from bothering you."

"Thank you."

Sakura inclined her head before turning away and heading for the safety of her quarters.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Xander's trying really hard, but Sakura is just so terrified of him...

 **Glossary:**

tabi – socks that are closed using hooks, they have a reinforced sole and an indentation between the first and second toe

Krakenburg – a German word meaning "castle of the kraken", so, for obvious reasons, I refuse to call it "Castle Krakenburg"

kaze – wind

Hans – a shortened version of the German name Johann or Greek name Johannes/Iannis, John in English

seiza – a Japanese form of kneeling, the most common way to sit in ancient Japan, be it during meals, meetings or moments of relaxation

un – yes


	5. In Which False Trails Have Been Laid

"I believe they rested here for a while", Laslow said, dismounting from his horse to inspect several patches of flattened grass.

Subaki steered his pegasus over.

"It's not too unlikely. This copse provides some cover, they could have used that to catch their breaths, and maybe heal their wounds."

Laslow frowned.

"How many healers do you think they have?"

"Well, that mostly depends on what kind of troops were still alive in the end – but even if there were no healers among the regulars, Hinoka-sama herself and her retainer Asama can heal."

"Can you?"

"Indeed. We try to teach this skill to as many men as we can – helping others is a great virtue, and, of course, having many healers around is a strategic advantage."

"I see. Nohr can't boast a large number of healers."

"That must be tough."

"At times, yes."

"Oi, are you guys done chatting? We're supposed to be looking for trails", Hana cut in.

"Ah, my apologies, fair Hana", Laslow said with a charming smile.

Hana scowled.

"I do not recall giving you permission to address me with such familiarity. Or are you always this rude?"

"Rude? Me? If I offended you in any way, I am terribly sorry! Prince Xander would surely have my head if I did anything to jeopardise this mission."

Hana's frown remained in place, but she looked a bit thoughtful.

"Never mind Laslow, he always flirts with any woman he comes across", Selena said, her eyes narrowed. "Just ignore the jerk. How about we just let them prattle on, and look for the trail? Effie, you with us?"

"Sure", Effie replied.

The three women moved away, Yukimura in tow.

"Great, now I look like an utter fool", Laslow murmured. "But seriously, what did I do wrong?"

"You addressed her just by name", Subaki replied. "You'd get a very similar reaction from me or Yukimura-sama, too."

"Does that have something to do with the suffixes you add to your names?"

"It does. If you like, I can teach you once we are on the road – for now, I suggest we go help them, or Hana will never let me hear the end of it."

"Very well."

Following the trail left by Princes Hinoka and her men had been easy so far – they had apparently prioritised speed over stealth and tried to get as far away from the capital as possible, heading north-east. To Laslow's surprise, Subaki hadn't flown yet, but instead kept his pegasus on the ground. Subaki had pointed out that walking wouldn't tire his mount out as much, and that he wanted to avoid relying on its wings unless he had to. He was planning on scouting from above whenever the trail would become more difficult to spot.

"Guys, we have a problem", Effie called.

"What is it?", Subaki asked.

"There are several trails here", Selena replied, sounding annoyed. "Looks like they split up."

"Some of these must be fake", Subaki replied. "Hinoka-sama would never split a force as small as hers, she can't afford to lose a single man."

"So you think they laid some false trails, and then doubled back?", Laslow asked.

"That's unlikely", Hana replied. "Doubling back takes a lot of time, and is only advisable when you know your enemy is far away, otherwise it'd be too risky. I imagine she would have picked the men up after a while – so the trails ought to just end, without there being any other trace."

"You mean – she'd pull them up onto her pegasus?"

"Correct. I've seen soldiers do that in training."

"I see."

"In that case, I suggest we split up and try three of the trails at random", Yukimura said. "There is no way for us to tell which one is the real one, as Hinoka-sama will have been very careful not to leave any traces of herself or her pegasus. Should the trail the team is following turn cold, I suggest backtracking to this place, and try one of the others."

"In that case, we should mark the trails we pick now, so we won't take the same one twice", Hana said.

"Good idea", Effie replied. "I'll take this one here."

One of the mages appeared by her side and burned away some grass, leaving a mark.

"Will this suffice?", he asked.

"I believe so", Yukimura replied. "Oh, one more thing – how will we know if one of the other teams has found Hinoka-sama, or run into any kind of trouble?"

"Our mages use a signal code to convey simple messages", Laslow replied. "As long as there aren't any kind of huge mountain ranges obstructing the view, we will be able to see the other teams' signals. We'll update each other every evening, more often only if need be – because there is a chance Princess Hinoka might see the flares, and know we're after her – even if she can't understand the code, she might figure out there are several teams after her."

"I see. Very well, then. I suggest we'd best get to it."

"Good luck, Yukimura-sama, Subaki. I hope we'll see each other again soon", Hana said.

"As do I", Subaki replied.

"Good luck to you as well", Yukimura replied before steering his machine towards the path Effie had chosen.

"Speak to you in the evening", Laslow told Selena.

"Whatever. Just don't mess up."

Laslow chuckled.

"Love you too, Selena."

Selena huffed angrily, mounted her horse and rode off towards one of the unclaimed paths, Hana and her men following behind her.

Laslow exchanged a look with Subaki. The other man nodded, and they picked one of the remaining trails.

"Well then, my Hoshidan friend. Tell me about this thing with the suffixes."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Poor Laslow didn't get the memo on suffixes.

I've been toying with the idea of mages using magical flares for communication for a while now, but never made use of it in _The Curse of the Brand_. So, here it is!


	6. In Which An Announcement Is Made

Shortly after lunch, Xander had paid a visit to their army's camp along with his siblings to inform the men of what had transpired so far. The siblings had ultimately agreed to stick with the truth about Garon, and to make sure as many people as possible would see his body – since the men who had died at Shirasagi Castle still needed to be moved, this wouldn't be too difficult. Xander had ordered the commanding officers to organise transports to bring the fallen home, and made sure to pair the more unruly soldiers with commanders he trusted. He had expressively forbidden them from preying on Hoshidans, and threatened severe consequences should he hear even the slightest rumour that his orders had been ignored.

With that taken care of, he had told the others they were free to spend the afternoon as they pleased – Leo had instantly made his way for the library, Odin on his heels, while Elise took off to explore the castle, and Camilla decided to take a long, thorough soak in the hot springs. Kamui had decided to go to her room and do nothing.

Xander, for his part, had ordered servants to gather as many people as possible in the throne room, and now he was on his way to fetch Princess Sakura.

He hoped she had already recovered from this morning – it surely wouldn't help her anxiety if she was still worn out.

Xander believed she had rushed things earlier – that she hadn't yet been ready to face the dead – but he had also seen her resolve. Despite her shyness, Sakura wasn't one to be easily dissuaded once she truly wanted something.

Sakura's servant opened the door when he knocked. She still seemed rather nervous around him (Xander couldn't really blame her), but she was civil and informed him that Sakura wasn't quite ready yet before disappearing into what Xander believed to be the princess' bedroom. He made himself at home on the floor again, wincing slightly as some of his muscles protested against the unusual strain. He briefly considered grabbing himself one of the cushions littering the floor, but he would rather not appear soft in front of Sakura.

After a while, the door was slid open by the servant – Xander found it rather strange the woman was kneeling on the ground instead of standing whenever she did that – and Sakura emerged. Xander rose to his feet and stared at her, totally baffled – he wasn't familiar with everyday Hoshidan clothing, as he had only ever interacted with Hoshidans on the battlefield, so he hadn't really known what to expect. The kimono Sakura had worn this morning had seemed somewhat exotic, but it was nothing compared to what she was wearing now.

This kimono was made from pale blue silk that had been embroided with threads ranging from gold to yellow, and pink to a pale red – the colours reminded Xander very strongly of the sunrise he'd seen this morning, and he found it very fitting for the occasion – apparently, Sakura had taken his words that she should be a symbol of hope for her people to heart, and decided to dress the part.

He once again noticed the long, draping sleeves – he didn't know if this was a fashion thing, or if Sakura just liked them.

The kimono was kept in place by a broad sash made from a darker shade of pink, embroided with golden threads.

Since there wasn't really anything to be done with hair as short as hers, Sakura had opted for a different kind of hair accessory than the one she had been wearing before. It was white, dangly, and reminded him of blossoms.

Xander had been so stunned by her get-up it took him a while to realise just how pale she looked – and another moment to realise she was wearing make-up. While Nohrian women liked to apply it as well, he had never seen someone paint their entire face a different colour, or a pattern onto their lips. The red and white caused quite a dramatic effect, and Xander realised too late he had been staring – and that Sakura had become aware of it.

"Um – did I o-overdo it?", she asked nervously, fingering her sleeves.

"No, no, not at all – I just didn't realised that your entire face had been painted white – I thought you were about to faint."

"I see. Do N-Nohrian women not wear m-make-up?"

"They do, but not like this. I was just surprised, is all. You look radiant, princess."

"Oh. Thank y-you", she said bashfully, her eyes downcast. "And I p-promise I won't faint."

"That's a relief – it would probably reflect poorly on both of us should you suddenly pass out..."

"I imagine it would be w-worse for my reputation", Sakura mused.

"I'm not so sure – someone would certainly come up with a story of how poor Princess Sakura fainted from sheer terror because she had to be in the presence of the frightening Crown Prince of Nohr..."

Sakura made a strangled sound, and Xander realised she was suppressing a chuckle. It pleased him greatly to have been able to invoke a different emotion than fear in her for once.

"Well then, shall we go?"

Sakura nodded. Her servant was already in place next to the door, ready to open it for them. Xander noticed after a while that she trailed a few steps behind Sakura, following them through the hallways.

They entered the throne room in the back, and Sakura made a small sound of distress when she saw the crowd that had gathered there. Xander slowed his steps somewhat, but didn't stop.

"Do not falter. You can do this."

Sakura straightened her spine and marched on.

"All hail Prince Xander and Princess Sakura!", Niles announced theatrically.

Xander had "borrowed" both him and Beruka, both of them were waiting near the throne.

People turned, and parted to make way for them, bowing as they passed. Xander suddenly felt severely underdressed next to the Hoshidan princess.

The throne was sitting on a dais at the front of the room. After Xander had climbed onto it, he turned around and offered his hand to Sakura. She looked surprised for a moment, but accepted his hand and allowed him to help her onto the dais.

The crowd murmured, but Xander tuned it out – focussing instead on being a reliable anchor for the princess – he wasn't sure if she'd ever spoken to a crowd before, but even if she had, he could well imagine just how nervous the mere thought must make her.

He caught Niles' gaze, and sent him a glare so chilling it wiped the smirk off the other man's face.

Sakura had positioned herself a few steps to his left, hands clasped in front. She was trying very hard not to look at anyone, her gaze flitting from one person to the next. Well, at the very least, she wasn't fidgeting.

Xander, too, observed the crowd for a bit – but for different reasons. He wanted to make sure he could see everything that was going on, and that he had everyone's attention.

The crowd settled down after a while, a silence filled with anticipation suffusing the room.

"People of Hoshido", Xander began. "I am aware that since yesterday, many rumours have been flying about, rumours that caused uncertainty and insecurity. I have gathered you here today to put any and all rumours and speculations to rest.

"My father, King Garon, died yesterday, and I will ascend to the throne of Nohr upon my return home. According to the right of conquest, I could claim kingship of Hoshido."

Again, he surveyed the crowd.

"However, I have decided that I will not. My father might have aspired to conquer the entire world, but my dreams are different – and they do not include a Hoshido under my rule."

Whispers could be heard after that statement, but Xander ignored them, and went on.

"I have sent out search parties to recover Princess Hinoka, whom we forced to flee the battlefield yesterday in an attempt to spare her life. Until her return, Princess Sakura will act as regent in her stead. I proposed this idea to Princess Sakura earlier, and she accepted the position."

He gestured towards Sakura, and she took the hint, taking half a step forward.

"I'll try my b-best to be a good regent", she said softly. "Please take care of me."

She ended her small speech with a slight bow, her back straight, and the people responded in kind.

"As for the matter of how both my father and Prince Takumi died – I have debated with my siblings what we should tell the public – I have decided to tell the truth, as absurd as it may sound – because I would not feel comfortable lying to my people, or you. You all deserve to know the truth.

"You may have known my father only as a warmongering tyrant, but he used to be a good king once – he was just, and kind. People attributed his sudden change in character to the loss of his queens – Queen Katherina, who was my mother, and Queen Arete, Azura's mother, and changes at court. No-one thought it too strange, or saw the need to investigate those matters.

"However, in recent years, his methods have become more and more cruel, and my siblings and I were often task with gruelling missions. We did our best to carry them out with as little casualties as possible – for even as his children, we could not refuse his orders.

"Still, we never suspected there was more at play – until yesterday, when Kamui and Azura told us that our father had been possessed by a creature planning to destroy both Hoshido and Nohr, and that said creature had also managed to bring Prince Takumi under its control."

This time, the crowd reacted more passionately to his words – people exclaimed in wonder, shock and outrage. Xander's hand almost instinctively grabbed the hilt of Siegfried, and for a brief moment, he feared that the people might riot.

Niles shifted his stance, ready to nock an arrow, his bow already strung, while Beruka seemed completely unmoved – then again, Xander had never seen any kind of expression on the former assassin's face for as long as he'd known her.

Next to him, Sakura lifted a hand.

Some people in the crowd noticed, and nudged their neighbours. The whole room quieted rather quickly.

"I understand how you f-feel", Sakura said softly. "I, too, could hardly believe my ears when I was told the s-same story y-yesterday. However, I do believe Prince Xander is telling the t-truth."

More exclamations followed that statement, and Sakura, looking slightly panicked, tried her best to calm the people again.

"Please, h-hear me out! I do not take Prince Xander for a l-liar, and besides, if the Nohrians were truly trying to deceive us, surely they would come up with a b-better story – one that was m-more believable. Furthermore, I have seen King Garon's b-body – it looked – unnatural. Also – Takumi-onii changed a lot during the w-war – I could hardly recognise the brother I g-grew up with – he was driven by hatred and his desire for revenge, especially against K-Kamui – completely disregarding the fact that m-mother sacrificed herself for her..."

Xander started slightly at that – Kamui had never really gone into detail about what had happened that day, and her accusations that Garon had plotted her death – or had risked her life in the process of carrying out his plan – had not been taken seriously by anyone.

Sakura's words seemed to give the people pause, however, and a few remarked that they had, indeed, noticed changes in Prince Takumi's behaviour. Still, the general opinion seemed to be that possession was a very far-fetched explanation – and many attributed those changes to the murder of late Queen Mikoto.

"Xander-sama", one of the courtiers finally said, and Xander was very glad he'd asked Sakura to explain about those suffixes earlier, "could you tell us more about that creature that supposedly possessed both your father and Takumi-sama?"

"I'm afraid I don't know more about this whole affair than what I already told you", Xander replied, knowing fully well this was probably not going to satisfy anyone. "It would seem that Kamui knows more, but she refuses to speak of it, fearing the effects of a curse that would make her disappear. Azura apparently knew even more about this strange matter, but we haven't seen her since the final battle yesterday – we have not been able to speak to her about this matter at all."

"What do you mean, you haven't seen her?", one of the guards asked, his brow furrowed.

"She disappeared without a trace. We didn't find anything indicating a struggle or a fight, and we don't recall her leaving the throne room by herself, either. Kamui feared that the curse might be at work here."

The people exchanged uneasy glances, as no-one seemed to be able to remember seeing Azura after the fighting had ended.

"What kind of curse are we talking about?", a healer asked after a while. "Could it affect other people?"

"No. From what Kamui told us, speaking about the place that monster came from would trigger the curse. As long as you don't know about it, you can't be affected. You needn't worry about vanishing yourself."

The crowd seemed a little less anxious after hearing that.

"Any more questions? If there is anything you want to know, please don't hesitate to ask."

"There is one more thing", another courtier spoke up. "Sakura-hime indicated that you would be staying in Hoshido for a while – what exactly are your plans in this regard? Did you not assure us that you want no part in ruling Hoshido?"

"Indeed. And I stand by what I have said – though I understand your unease. I have matters to discuss with Princess Hinoka upon her return, and so it seemed most prudent to remain here until she is found. Besides, I want to make certain things will go smoothly – there is always a chance that someone might try to use the chaos reigning at the moment to increase their own power – especially people who might feel that their royal family let them down. Also, to be quite frank, I do not trust all of the men the imposter brought with him to behave themselves. They have already proven to be ruthless, and cruel. I need to keep an eye on them as well. They are more likely to cause trouble here than in Nohr, so if I remain here, I'll be able to respond more quickly, should anything happen."

"We have seen the atrocities committed by members of your army", another healer spoke up. "Do you think it very likely they will prey on our people?"

"I have expressively forbidden it, and I will severely punish anyone who dares ignore my orders. I sincerely hope it will serve as a deterrent. Do remember, though, that you can always come to me – or any of my siblings – should there be trouble with any of our men."

"I see. Thank you."

"Will there be anything else?"

No-one spoke up, and Xander nodded once.

"Very well. Dismissed."


	7. In Which There Are Cultural Differences

Dinner was an awkward affair.

Not so much because the Nohrians were ill-mannered or hostile, but because they made Sakura feel like a stranger in her own home. And this infuriated her – this was her castle, kamidamnit! They shouldn't be able to make her feel that way.

After Xander had finished speaking to the people, Sakura had retreated to her rooms, where she had rested until it was time for dinner. She had decided to eat with the Nohrians mostly to humour Xander – and because she hadn't wanted to eat all by herself. Sakura had changed out of the formal furisode she had been wearing earlier, and removed the make-up – she didn't want the others to think she might faint, too. Being pitied by an enemy was quite awful.

As they sat down around the low table, Elise prattled on and on about what she had done, seen and heard all afternoon. Leo would sometimes make cynical remarks to that or get into Kamui's hair while Camilla was busy doting on both her and Elise. Xander was quietly observing them, sometimes rebuking Leo whenever he thought he went too far.

Seeing the love and affection Kamui obviously harboured for the children of that monster was sickening, and Sakura was glad when the food arrived so she could distract herself.

As soon as the servants had been dismissed, she picked up a bowl of soup and a pair of chopsticks, fished out one of the long noodles swimming in the bowl and started to suck it in. Feeling suddenly famished, she focused completely on her food, and so it took her a while to realise that none of the others were eating, but instead watching her with disapproving frowns.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Sakura hurried to suck in the end of the noodle with a loud slurp before lowering her bowl.

"I-Is something the m-matter?", she asked, made very nervous by their silent condemna tion of her person.

"You surprise me, princess", Camilla replied, her lips curled in distaste. "I had pegged you for a perfect lady. I would have never guessed that you could be so ill-mannered."

Feeling utterly confused, Sakura tried to protest – no-one had ever found her manners lacking, after all – but Leo spoke up before she could get a word in.

"Indeed. I would expect this kind of behaviour from someone like Niles, but not from you."

Sakura could hardly believe her ears. Here she was, being reprimanded by foreigners without even knowing what she was being reprimanded for! Suddenly, she had to fight back tears.

"Uh, guys, perhaps you shouldn't - ", Kamui began, but she was interrupted when Elise started voicing her opinion on Sakura's lack of etiquette.

Even Xander looked displeased – more displeased than he usually did, at any rate.

Her appetite suddenly gone, Sakura replaced the bowl, folded her hands in her lap and prayed that dinner would be over soon.

No-one else spoke on this matter any more when it became clear Sakura wouldn't say anything in her defence, and the Nohrians returned to their own bowls.

Sakura wallowed in misery for a while until she was suddenly roused by Elise.

"Ugh! How on earth is anyone supposed to eat those things? They are too long, and too hot!"

Sakura glanced up to see her struggling with one of the noodles.

"You n-need to slurp them", she explained mildly.

"Slurp them?", Elise replied in disbelief.

"Un. You fish out o-one end with the chopsticks, lift the bowl so it's close to your f-face, and then you slurp as you k-keep shovelling it in using the chopsticks. I-It takes practise."

Elise stared at her as if she had grown another head. Leo mumbled something intelligible, and Camilla closed her eyes.

"I was trying to tell you - ", Kamui began, but Xander cut her off.

"Is this how you eat soup in Hoshido?", he asked calmly.

"Uh, yes. H-How else would we do it?"

"In Nohr, we use spoons, and we blow on the soup if it's too hot."

"I see. W-Well, you can't eat this k-kind of soup with a spoon, and they are m-mostly just used by children, or the e-elderly. Everyone else e-eats soup like this."

"I see." Xander briefly closed his eyes. "I fear I owe you another apology, Princess Sakura – in Nohr, slurping is considered terribly rude, and we simply assumed that it would be the same here. I am terribly sorry."

"I am aggrieved as well", Camilla said softly. "I should not have questioned your good upbringing like that."

Sakura blinked, unable to decide whether she should feel relieved, or angry – or maybe both. However, before she could decide on how to react, Kamui finally managed to make herself heard.

"Perhaps you should have inquired about the customs of a foreign country before you made utter fools of yourselves", she said icily. "Sakura's manners have never been anything less than perfect, and I could have told you that they slurp here."

"You most certainly didn't say anything so far", Leo remarked.

"You didn't ask, and you were doing well enough. Besides, I couldn't have explained it as eloquently as Sakura just did."

Sakura blushed at being called "eloquent".

"Well, it is done...", Xander said heavily. "We are fortunate no servants were around to witness this debacle. Princess Sakura, I must once again ask you to let us know if we do anything wrong, or if we could do something to improve ourselves, if only to prevent something like this from ever happening again."

"Very w-well... I'll see what I c-can think of. P-Perhaps K-Kamui would like to help?"

Kamui beamed at her and readily assured her of her willingness to contribute to Sakura's explanations, and so they spent the rest of the evening going over Hoshidan courtesies, and comparing them to Nohrian customs.

* * *

 **A/N:**

This is all I have written so far, so the next update might take a while – but I am motivated to write at the moment, so I hope I'll be able to update any of my stories soon.

 **Glossary:**

furisode - "long-sleeved kimono", a very formal kimono worn exclusively by unmarried women. I've heard that the sleeves get cut off once they get married, but don't know if that's actually true


	8. In Which There Is a Traitor

**A/N:**

Here's another short one.

 **WARNING:** This one is dark.

* * *

Blood.

There was blood everywhere.

The ground felt squishy, similar to that in a swamp, but Sakura knew water wouldn't be what she would see if she looked down.

Corpses littered the area, the empty eyes of the dead staring at her accusingly.

"Why did you let us die?"

"Why didn't you help us?"

"You're a healer! You should have saved us!"

"Why are you still alive?"

"Worthless!"

"You should have died with us!"

"You're a failure!"

"Pathetic."

"It's your fault we died!"

Sakura backed away, but there was no escape – the voices of the dead – and their empty eyes – followed her everywhere. Sakura tried to plead her case, but she barely got a word in, and the chorus of the spectres drowned out every sound she made.

As they began closing in on her, Sakura tried to run, but her legs would not work. She felt panic rising as the dead encircled her, arms reaching for her, their voices deafening, bodies closing in, blocking out the world.

Finally, Sakura found her voice again, and with a blood-curling scream she broke free of the nightmare.

Gasping, she tried to make sense of what was happening, and where she was – she was in her room, it was night, and there were no corpses in sight.

Feeling hot and sweaty, Sakura tossed off the heavy blanket and stood on shaky legs, fervently hoping that no-one had heard her scream. This was the first nightmare she had suffered ever since the fall of Fort Jinya, and Sakura assumed that stress and fear for her own life had kept these kind of dreams at bay. But now that her life wasn't in any kind of immediate danger any more, all her regrets and self-doubts had manifested in this awful vision.

Sakura decided she needed some fresh air. She slid open the door leading out into the garden and, not bothering to put on zori, stumbled out onto the dew-covered grass.

The full moon bathed everything in a gentle, silvery light, it seemed surreal after the darkness of her nightmare. Sakura ambled across the grass, not really having a destination in mind, or any idea what she should do now that she was outside.

She eventually came to a halt near a tree and wrapped her arms around her middle, squeezing her eyes shut and trying her best to pretend all the bad things had never actually happened. It was futile, she knew, but just for a moment, when she was all alone, she wanted to allow herself to just be who she was, without having to pretend she was this strong, untouchable princess.

"Sakura-hime..."

Letting out a barely suppressed cry of alarm, Sakura spun around to find herself face to face with Kaze. The traitor.

"W-what do you want?!", she blurted angrily, trying to blink away the tears.

"I noticed that you had left your rooms, so I came to check if everything was all right – you shouldn't be out at this time, much less alone."

Sakura drew herself up to her full height (which unfortunately still meant that she was smaller than him) and fixed him with a cold stare.

"And why exactly do you care for my well-being, traitor?"

Kaze actually flinched, but when he replied, his voice was calm.

"Because Nohr wouldn't profit from your death, on the contrary – where, do you think, would the people lay the blame, should anything happen to you?"

"P-prince Xander, I guess."

"Yes. And the other royal children, too. It would cause conflict, and that is the last thing they want or need at the moment. Therefore, your safety is one of our main concerns right now."

Sakura considered this. It did sound reasonable, but that didn't mean she wanted Kaze anywhere near her.

"I've already discussed picking a temporary replacement for Subaki and Hana", she informed him coolly. "There is no need for you to concern yourself with this matter."

Sakura marched past him, intent on returning to her room, but Kaze's next words made her freeze in her tracks.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?!", she snapped, rounding on him. "For what? Betraying your homeland? _Invading_ your homeland? Causing the deaths of my brothers? Your brother?!"

Kaze closed his eyes, his face displaying anguish.

"Did you kill him? Did you kill Saizo-san?"

"I did not", Kaze replied, his voice heavy. "I was busy standing guard near Princess Kamui during her duel with Ryoma-sama, to make sure none of his men interfered. I do not know who killed him – I never asked, and the others didn't tell me."

Hearing that calmed Sakura's fury somewhat, but now she felt empty, and cold.

"Why? Why did you do it? What kind of reason could you have for turning your back on your homeland, especially after having been a prisoner in Nohr?"

"For one, Princess Kamui was chosen by Yato – an omen. Additionally, she was planning on finding a peaceful solution for the conflict between our nations – she was certain she would be able to convince King Garon – the imposter – to make peace with Hoshido. It was certainly her desire. I felt that helping her achieve that goal was the right thing to do."

"How can aiding the invasion of your homeland be the right thing to do? You know Hoshido never showed any unprovoked aggression towards Nohr, so you can't even claim it was in retaliation! It was a quest for power, nothing more."

"Invasion wasn't the plan from the start – at least not as far as any of us knew. The imposter tasked Princess Kamui with several harsh tasks to test her loyalty, as some people feared she'd been turned into a spy for Hoshido. She was trying very hard to get on his good side, to prove herself and maybe gain his favour. By the time we found out we were to march into Hoshido, it was already too late. There was nothing we could do to stop the invasion at this point – all we could do was try to keep casualties to a minimum."

"This sounds all very convenient."

"I cannot prove it, that's for sure", he replied sadly. "But please believe me when I say that I never wished harm upon you, your family or anybody else. Things spiralled out of our control, and we were all played by that imposter."

"You do realise this changes nothing, don't you? The dead are still dead. No matter how much remorse you may feel."

"I know. I will carry this burden for the rest of my life."

Sakura wanted to make an angry retort, but checked herself. She was to tired to continue arguing at the moment.

"I shall retire now", she told him instead. "Do not follow me."

Not waiting for a reply, she turned away and headed back to her rooms at a brisk pace, wanting nothing more than to crawl back under her blanket and hold her dolls.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Sakura may seem a bit OOC in this chapter, but keep in mind she's been under a lot of stress and is past her breaking point. Also, she doesn't stutter while speaking with Kaze because she knows him well (and it's kinda hard to be nervous around someone like him), and because she is so very angry.


	9. In Which There Are Dreams

Kamui was sipping her tea when Kaze slipped into her room. Well, not _her room_ , but rather the one she had picked in the guest wing – she hadn't wanted to stay in her former room for two reasons. One, it was safer with her siblings and their retainers around, and two, she didn't want to upset the Hoshidans. But, if she was being completely honest, there was a third reason she hadn't told anyone about – her last memory of that room was visiting it alongside her mother, and Kamui wasn't sure she was strong enough to face that particular memory.

"You look like you've been having a rough night, princess", the ninja observed after having bowed to her.

"Yeah", Kamui sighed. "Had some pretty awful dreams."

"Your sister did, too."

"My sister? Which o- oh. You mean Sakura", she said with a sigh when she finally caught on.

"Indeed. My apologies if that was too vague."

"What happened?"

"I heard someone screaming and went to investigate – I found her wandering the gardens by herself."

"Do you know what she dreamt about?"

"I'm afraid not. I was worried about her being by herself, and she got angry – understandably so, of course. She also told me she's going to look for a temporary replacement for her retainers."

"That's good to hear – I was afraid she'd reject all of our suggestions just out of spite, or mistrust. Though it is hard to imagine an angry Sakura, truth be told."

"I was quite surprised myself. I've never seen this side of her, and I've been working for the royal family for many years. Then again, trauma does sometimes cause severe changes in personality. I should have prepared myself for this possibility."

"Did she say anything else?"

Kaze closed his eyes.

"She called me a traitor, and demanded to know why I did it – why I betrayed Hoshido. The thing is, Nohr was in the wrong – there was no justification for the invasion, and I know that. And I'm pretty sure she knows that I know. I tried to explain my reasons, and assure her that I had never meant any harm to befall her, or her family – she asked me if I killed Saizo."

"Your brother? I had heard that he was there when we fought against Ryoma – do you know who killed him?"

"No."

"Would you like to know?"

"No. I know someone did it, but I think it's better for me not to know – I'm not sure how I would react. It's better if I don't let this come between myself and my comrades."

"I see. I'll let the others know – though I am impressed everyone actually had the sense not to volunteer this information."

"Heh."

"I'll have to talk to her", Kamui said, more to herself than to Kaze. "Face her. We did speak yesterday, but – not about what happened."

"I believe you both need some kind of closure. Though I imagine it won't be easy."

"Yeah, I think so, too."

Kamui put the cup down and shifted on her cushion – she really didn't like sitting like this.

"Kaze, I know this is kinda sudden, but – I've decided to make both you and Silas my retainers. I've spoken with Xander, and he agreed with my decision."

Kaze blinked, totally taken aback, before he managed to find his voice again.

"That is – I am honoured, no doubt, but – are you certain? I mean, I can totally understand about Silas, but – me?"

"For crying out loud, Kaze, stop putting yourself down!", Kamui exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and approaching the ninja. "You're a very capable fighter, loyal, and a good person. What more could I possibly ask for? Besides, I doubt you could just leave the army and live a normal life – the Hoshidans probably won't accept you back, and the Nohrians might be wary of you. And having you serve as a regular would be a total waste of your talents."

"It would seem that you are not to be swayed", Kaze replied. "Very well, then. I accept this position – I swear that I will serve you to the best of my ability."

Kamui allowed herself a slight smile.

"I'm counting on it."

* * *

 **A/N:**

I've always felt that Silas and Kaze should be Kamui's retainers, given their loyalty and devotion to her. And, with the war now over, she has the time to actually think about this kind of thing.


	10. In Which There Is Sightseeing

Flowers wilting

Turning into dust

Life is fleeting

Sakura carefully put down her brush and examined the haiku – it was certainly not the best she had ever written, but perfection had not been what she had been aiming for. No, she had merely wished to express her thoughts and feelings, and finding the right words had been difficult, even on paper.

Sakura tossed some sand onto the ink to dry it and was just wondering if she should write more poetry, when the door to her room was shoved open unceremoniously and Princess Elise came bounding in.

"Princess Sakura!", she exulted, dropping down onto one of the cushions on the other side of Sakura's desk. "I was meaning to ask – oh, are you painting something?"

Sakura quickly regained her composure and signalled for Ai to close the door – Elise had been too excited to do so.

"This i-is a haiku", she explained. "P-poetry."

"A poem? You mean to say you write like that?", Elise asked, confused.

"Un. Have you n-never seen Hoshidan writing b-before?"

"No. No-one ever showed me the cool stuff."

"I see", Sakura replied mildly. "Was there anything you n-needed of me?"

She was quite keen to distract Elise from the haiku before she decided she wanted to know what Sakura had written about.

"Oh! Yes, actually, I was wondering if you had time to show me your litter."

"My litter? I s-suppose I have time, b-but - "

"Great! Let's go!"

"R-right now? Oh well..."

Elise was already on her feet, bouncing with excitement. It was kind of endearing, Sakura decided, as she rose from her cushion.

"You need not clean this up", she told Ai as she headed for the door. "Wait here for my return."

"As you wish, Sakura-hime."

"You didn't stutter", Elise observed as they walked down the corridor.

"W-well, Ai has been my attendant for m-many years. I t-trust her."

"Makes sense – it's just, well, we know that your stuttering is caused by anxiety, and, you know – I'm used to people quaking at the sight of _Xander_. But you're even nervous around _me_ – not that I blame you or anything, it just makes me very, very uncomfortable."

"I c-can't help it", Sakura replied quietly. "These things t-take time."

"I understand. Please, don't feel pressured or anything. I just want you not to fear me."

Sakura nodded, since she had nothing further to say on the matter. She could, to some extent, empathise with Elise, but she was still wary of the Nohrians. The fact that she displayed signs of anxiety whenever she was interacting with anyone she didn't know very well was not helping, either.

The litters used by the royal family were kept in a storage room near the stables – as it wouldn't make much sense to carry them all the way to the yard from some other kind of remote storage location. Sakura led Elise inside and showed her to hers, trying very hard not to look at the litters belonging to her siblings – or her late mother.

"Wow", Elise said, awed. "It's even better than I thought it would be. Say, can we take a ride?"

"Wha – you m-mean right now?"

"Of course! We're here already, aren't we?"

"B-but – I'm not sure if this w-would be a good i-idea – I'm n-not sure I could protect you, should something h-happen."

" _I_ could protect us", Elise protested.

"We sh-should at least notify s-someone", Sakura insisted, terrified of the idea that Xander might think she was trying to run away if they just disappeared.

"Hm, you might be right about that – stay right here, I won't be long."

Before Sakura had time to protest, Elise had taken off at a run, disappearing from view. Sakura sighed and went outside again, not really liking the idea of waiting inside. She fervently hoped that Xander would allow the excursion, if only not to disappoint Elise – at the very least, Sakura assumed that Elise would go and ask her eldest brother for permission.

And indeed, it didn't take long for Elise to return – the aforementioned brother in tow. Sakura gulped when she saw the deep frown on Xander's face – certain he was angry with them.

She was, therefore, entirely unprepared for Elise to bound over to her and cheerfully announce that Xander was going to come with them.

Sakura blinked, and focused on the princess.

"Ah – then w-we will n-need horses, I g-guess."

She quickly turned around and addressed a passing servant, ordering him to ready her litter and two horses. The man bowed and hurried away, probably unnerved by Xander's presence.

Sakura couldn't really blame him.

Several servants carried her litter outside and routinely checked it for damaged parts. Grooms emerged from the stables with two white horses, the emblem of Hoshido blazing on their gear. The litter was heaved off the ground, the horses were strapped in, and one of the servants lowered the ladder built into the litter.

Sakura thanked them and climbed inside, followed by Elise, then Xander. Sakura sat herself against the back wall, while the siblings sat down opposite her. The ladder was stored away, the grooms took their position next to the horses and they were ready to go.

Sakura instructed them to choose a route along the main roads – partly because the most stunning sights of the city were there, and also because they were less likely to be ambushed there than in a small alley.

Xander kept scowling all the time, observing everything in silence, while Elise, completely unaffected by his mood, "ooh'd" and "aah'd" at everything Sakura showed them. Sakura began to wonder if Xander's frown was a permanent feature, and if it would still be there even if he smiled.

She couldn't imagine him smiling.

Sakura had, for a moment, forgotten that their route would inadvertently take them to the main plaza, and so she fell silent abruptly when she saw the ruined houses and smashed statues.

Alerted to the fact that something was amiss by her sudden shift in mood, the Nohrians looked around, and soon spotted the cause. Elise sucked in a startled breath, and even Xander seemed shocked for a moment.

"What happened here?", he asked.

Sakura fought to remain composed.

"My m-mother's d-death", she whispered.

The siblings exchanged a glance.

"We – heard about that from Kamui, but nothing in particular – if it isn't too much to ask, would you tell us what happened that day? Kamui claimed that the imposter was planning to kill her, or that he was, at the very least, willing to sacrifice her", Xander said.

Sakura took a fortifying breath – she had never talked about this before, as everyone here had known about it, and discussing her mother's death with her siblings would have been too painful – but she felt a sudden need to let it all out.

"Mother had wanted to h-hold a speech in p-public because news that K-kamui had returned had l-leaked and some people were w-worried she might be a s-spy. We all came down here, A-azura came with us, t-too – even though she n-normally avoided p-people. Just as m-mother was about to begin, something strange happened – the sword K-kamui had been carrying flew out from its s-scabbard and towards a hooded m-man. Then, there was an explosion – and m-mother threw herself in front of Kamui – she d-died right there. And K-kamui – transformed into a dragon."

"Was that the first time that happened?", Xander inquired.

"Y-yes – no-one knew she could d-do that. She was b-beside herself with r-rage, and then we were attacked – mother's b-barrier was broken, and there were enemies everywhere. A-after we had d-defeated them, Kamui was still raging, and A-azura tried to use her magic to calm her – Ryoma tried to stop her, but couldn't – Kamui almost k-killed Azura, but in the end, she t-transformed back. That's what h-happened."

"The sword – it was a gift from the imposter", Xander said heavily. "He planned everything from the start. It makes sense that he would want to get rid of Queen Mikoto, as her barrier prevented us from invading Hoshido, but why was he aiming for Kamui? From what both you and Kamui told me, it sounds that she had been the primary target, not your mother."

"I don't know", Sakura replied quietly.

"Gah, this is all so annoying!", Elise exclaimed. "We know next to nothing about that imposter or his plans and motives, Kamui doesn't know anything, either, and Azura is still missing..."

"Have your men heard anything of her, Princess Sakura?"

"N-no. I've started my own investigation, b-but – we found n-nothing. Not a s-single trace."

"Do you know anything about the magic she used?"

"O-only that it w-was water-related", Sakura replied. "Though I've n-never heard of such a magic b-before – some of our m-mages use ice-related s-spells, but these are d-different. They involve incantations, n-not singing. Azura a-always sang."

"You seem to have been close. I'm sorry."

Sakura closed her eyes.

"When the f-fighting broke out, some p-people blamed her, or thought she w-was a spy, or p-possibly a traitor – especially when they heard about K-kamui. W-we were unable to p-protect her... It sh-should have never c-come to that..."

"Did that happen a lot? People thinking she was a spy, that is."

"Y-yes. It was one reason Azura d-didn't like being around people."

"I see. Though I can imagine that the burden of her secret knowledge might have increased her desire for solitude."

"T-true. Assuming that this story about the c-curse is real."

"Kamui seems to believe it, no matter how absurd it may sound. And she is not someone to believe in spooky old wives' tales."

"W-well – suddenly vanishing due to a curse m-might be a reasonable explanation for Azura's disappearance, all things c-considered", Sakura mused.

"Your definition of 'reasonable' must've changed radically these few days", Elise observed.

"Definitely."

"There's been enough going on to change everyone's definition of almost everything", Xander observed quietly. "My perspective of the world certainly changed."

Sakura then recalled that, just like his younger siblings, Xander had had to come to grips with what had happened to their father – and, seeing as how he would have been old enough to remember the real King Garon, this might be a lot harder for him than Elise. He was very good at not showing it, though – Sakura would have never thought about this if not for Elise's explanation two days prior.

The remainder of the ride was pleasantly uneventful – if a bit more subdued, as everyone had things weighing on their minds. Sakura still tried her best to be a good guide, and Elise appeared to be sufficiently entertained and impressed. Xander seemed to be the same as always, and Sakura came to the conclusion that he just didn't like showing what he thought or felt.

It reminded her a bit of Ryoma.

Once back at the palace, they disembarked and then made their way over to the entrance.

"I believe it is almost time for lunch", Xander observed.

"Indeed."

"Well then, let's go! I'm famished!", Elise exclaimed before excitedly bounding down the corridor.

"Oh my", Sakura said, mildly amused.

"She is always like that", Xander said, rolling his eyes.

This caught Sakura off guard so much, she had to use her sleeve to hide her smile – though her eyes shone, and betrayed her mirth.

"She certainly s-seems – energetic."

"True. Princess Sakura, do not allow my sister to bully you into doing these things. Elise means no harm, but I can imagine that you might find her cheerful ways trying. You are not required to entertain her, she is old enough to occupy herself without bothering you."

"I – didn't want to be r-rude and d-dismiss her just l-like that", Sakura replied quietly.

"Understandable. However, if you always try to please everyone, and not offend anyone, you will eventually suffer for it. It is simply impossible to achieve. Therefore, you will have to choose when to be rude, and when to offend. Otherwise, people will take advantage of you."

"I – hadn't c-considered that – i-is it something that comes with b-being a r-ruler?"

"Yes – or holding a position of power, at least. Some people will try to take advantage of weaker-minded people that wield power. And, since you are young and inexperienced, there is a chance that some people might try to take advantage of you. I do not know the Hoshidan court, or its politics, so I can't offer much advice – you will have to learn these things by yourself, I'm afraid."

"It is s-still good to know", Sakura replied earnestly. "Thank you f-for telling me."

"Not at all."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Sakura doesn't take any guards with her because I assume that based on the scene in which Mikoto dies that the royal family would just casually walk around town without need for guards. Sakura knows Elise is a potential target, but still doesn't think it necessary to bring any.

Glossary:

haiku – a Japanese poem with a specific syllable count per line. The correct count would be 5-7-5, but I mistakenly thought it was 4-5-4, so I just decided that Hoshido has a different style of haiku.

Mikoto – lady, princess


	11. In Which There Is Swordpractise

**A/N:**

So this is a _very_ short one, but I've already finished the next segment, and intend to upload it soon, so stay tuned.

* * *

Hana smoothly moved through the kata, a frown of concentration marring her brow. For too long, she had been unable to practice, and the day before, she had simply been too exhausted – both physically and mentally – to do anything once they stopped for the night. The Nohrians had given her generous helpings of food, though, and now that she no longer had to worry if this day might be her last, she had been able to sleep better, too.

When they had stopped for the night today, Hana had been determined to practise.

"Oi, what exactly are you doing? Dancing?"

Hana turned around to find herself face-to-face with Selena, the leader of her team. Hana wasn't sure she liked the other woman – she was often grumpy and easily irritated, and would then snap at anyone foolish enough to approach her.

"I'm practising my kata", Hana replied. "Haven't had much time for that recently."

Selena's eyes narrowed, apparently she had noticed the barb thrown at her, but refrained from commenting.

"So you practise swordfighting moves? Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Why? I don't expect us to run into any kind of trouble – unless your princess should be stupid enough to attack us – you could use the time to relax instead of waving your sword around pointlessly."

"I need to be in top form, regardless of the circumstances. I can't afford to put a stain on Sakura-hime's name."

"Jeez. Such devotion. Say, how come none of you guys ever tried to kill yourselves? I've heard that a lot of captured Hoshidan soldiers would rather be dead than captives. Seems to be a big thing."

"Well, there is no greater shame than losing a battle", Hana replied. "However, I'm not just a samurai – I'm a royal retainer. I have a duty to Sakura-hime. So, as long as she was still alive, and might still have need of me, I needed to go on, for her sake. Otherwise, the stain on my honour would have been even greater."

"You Hoshidans sure are overly dramatic", Selena muttered.

"We are not! This is our way of life!"

"Whatever! By all means, keep practising if it makes you feel better – just don't you dare slow us down tomorrow, or else."

"Don't worry, I won't."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Given how devoted Hana is to her training, I imagine that not being able to practise for several days/weeks (depending on how long it took the Nohrian army to reach the capital) must have been one of the worst things imaginable for her. Naturally, she'd try to get back to training as soon as possible.


	12. In Which Sakura Is Too Curious

Sakura was wandering down some of the inner corridors all by herself the following morning – Ai was busy tidying up Sakura's room, and she hadn't had time yet to pick a replacement for Hana and Subaki – preparations for the funeral as well as her new duties as regent had kept her busy, especially since Sakura knew absolutely nothing about running a country, and a lot of explaining had been necessary. However, courtiers had begun inspecting some of the recruits close to finishing their training, and a young woman named Yue had been recommended to Sakura. She had decided to meet those people herself after the funeral – there simply wasn't enough time at the moment.

She was just passing one of the zen gardens when she noticed something very strange – Prince Xander was there, slumped against a tree, his eyes closed, as far as she could tell. And he was alone.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat, and the next moment, she was hurrying across the gravel towards the Nohrian prince as fast as her kimono would allow. Terror gripped her – he could be injured, or worse, and she didn't even want to begin to imagine how Camilla and Leo would react to their brother's death, especially if Sakura could have prevented it.

She dropped down into the grass next to Xander, not caring if her kimono got crumpled, and reached a shaking hand towards the prince. Moments later, she let out a sigh of relief, sitting back on her heels, when she realised he was merely sleeping.

Once her racing heart had calmed down somewhat, Sakura noted how odd it was that none of his retainers had jumped her yet – had Xander truly fallen asleep in one of her gardens completely unattended? Sakura was not a great strategist, but even she understood just how dangerous that would be, and she assumed that Xander knew a lot more about tactics than she did. So what in the world was going on?

While she was still trying to make sense of this situation, she noticed just how relaxed and peaceful he seemed – even his frown was less pronounced.

 _So it really is a permanent feature._

However, something else soon caught Sakura's attention – his hair. Or rather, his ringlets. People in Hoshido had straight hair for most part, and Sakura had never had the chance to see curly hair up close. It fascinated her immensely, and she couldn't help but lean in to get a closer look.

Part of her brain noted that his was a stupid and highly inappropriate thing to do, but curiosity won. Sakura was just reaching out to touch a strand of his hair when Xander's eyes flew open.

Before Sakura had time to react, she found herself suddenly on her back, the prince looming over her. The sudden impact had her momentarily stunned, which was why attempting to struggle didn't even occur to her.

Several emotions flittered across Xander's face – confusion, surprise, hurt – before he settled on anger. If Sakura had thought he looked scary before, well, she now knew the true meaning of "scary". Xander looked as if he was about to commit a murder.

Sakura stayed very still, her hands grabbing the fabric of her sleeves for comfort – and to keep them still. Xander had not gotten hold of them when he'd toppled her, which was a small comfort – though she entertained no notions of being able to escape him.

"Care to explain what you were doing?", Xander ground out, his voice barely restrained.

"I – uh, I was just w-walking by and s-saw you s-slumped against that t-tree", she stammered, made extremely nervous by his penetrating stare. "I was w-worried something m-might have h-happened, so I-I went to check on y-you."

"Is that so? I wasn't aware that healers had to touch someone in order to determine if there was something wrong with them."

"Uh, n-no, we don't h-have to."

"And yet you were reaching for me when I opened my eyes. Why?"

Sakura wished the ground would just open up and swallow here right there and then, and fervently hoped she wasn't blushing.

"I – I'd rather n-not say."

"That is not a very good defence."

"D-defence? Am I under s-suspicion? F-for what?", Sakura asked, completely bewildered.

"Trying to kill me, obviously", the prince growled.

Sakura's eyes went wide.

"K-kill you? H-how? With my b-bare hands?!"

She lifted her dainty little hands into the air for emphasis.

Xander blinked, the fire in his eyes dimming somewhat.

"You – are unarmed", he observed.

"Y-yes. B-besides, killing you w-would be s-suicide. Which was why I w-was so w-worried – I thought someone h-had actually k-killed you! I - "

She stopped herself short of telling him how terrified she had been. He really didn't need to know that.

"But why were you trying to touch me?"

Sakura closed her eyes.

"C-can we j-just pretend that never h-happened?", she begged in a small voice. "P-please don't make me s-say it..."

"Princess Sakura, look at me. Please."

She hesitantly opened her eyes to find Xander watching her with something akin to concern.

"You are obviously distressed – and I do not believe you to be the kind of person to murder someone in cold blood – which is why I was, admittedly, shocked when I realised it was you... I apologise for jumping to conclusions like that, and for frightening you."

"I-It's all right. It w-was a stupid thing to d-do – I knew that. I just – I n-never thought you w-would assume what y-you did..."

"I see."

Xander seemed to realise then that he was still looming over her, and climbed off. Sakura sat up, gingerly touching the back of her head and checking for injuries.

"Are you hurt?", Xander asked, alarmed.

"N-no. No b-blood, see?"

"Good."

He cast a look around before turning back to Sakura.

"I don't think anyone saw this – I would very much like to keep this between us."

"D-definitely. This i-is one of the more s-secluded gardens, so I d-do believe we w-weren't seen."

"Well, I had been looking for a secluded spot."

"P-prince Xander, w-what were you d-doing here, and a-all by yourself? Where are y-your retainers? S-something could have happened to you..."

"Well, Laslow, one of my retainers, is out looking for your sister. Peri I gave this morning off – her presence would have been counter-productive for what I had planned."

Sakura looked at him expectantly.

"I had wanted to try out meditation", Xander admitted. "But it seems I fell asleep in the process."

"Oh! That h-happens sometimes. M-meditation takes p-practice."

"I wasn't aware."

"If you l-like, I could try and find you a t-teacher."

"Do you meditate?"

"S-sometimes. But I do b-believe that a miko or houshi would be b-better at t-teaching you than I would be."

"I would gladly take you up on the offer – I do believe that meditation might help me."

"It i-is very healthy. V-very well, I'll see if I can find someone w-willing to teach you at the f-funeral today – lots of members of the clergy w-will be there."

"I – see. Thank you in advance."

* * *

 **A/N:**

This is actually one of my favourite scenes so far – I had a lot of fun working on it, though I feel a bit sorry for Sakura. She just has no luck...

 **Glossary:**

Yue – moon

miko – shrine maiden, Shinto priestess. Traditionally, miko wear red hakama and white haori, and they are usually portrayed as archers, who often also possess spiritual powers. Miko were not required to be virgins, though I don't think they usually had families.

houshi – Buddhist monk. Most Japanese people are both Buddhists and Shintoists at the same time. Houshi are often portrayed carrying staves.


	13. In Which There Are Boulders

The sun had almost reached its zenith when Effie called for a halt. Yukimura steered his mount over to a small copse, where he made it lie down before sliding off its back.

Some of the horsemen had spotted game earlier, and now the archers got ready to go hunting. Even though their supply of food had been the largest of the three teams, getting fresh meat on your plate was a nice thing, especially considering that Effie could eat more than several men put together.

Yukimura removed his gloves and began to routinely check his puppet for any damage it might have suffered. He always carried tools with him to be able to make simple repairs – still, he hoped he wouldn't have to actually fix anything, though. They were too far away from any larger city or military outpost, so he would be hard-pressed to get spare parts.

He looked up when the jingle of armour announced Effie's approach.

"How are you holding up?", she asked without preamble.

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I see."

Yukimura wasn't quite sure what to make of Effie – despite his general dislike of Nohrians, he found it hard to dislike her – she had been perfectly amiable if a bit distant, and she had not risen to any baits Yukimura had tossed her way, either. Effie seemed to be a very dutiful, disciplined soldier, which was quite unlike anything he had experienced Nohrian soldiers to be so far.

"I'm really looking forward to lunch", the woman muttered. "Say, would you consider it worrisome that we still have no idea if this is the right track or not?"

"Well, we don't know how long these fake trails are. Assuming that Hinoka-sama is the only flying unit in their group, she would have to pick her men up one after the other, which means that each fake trail would have a different length. So, depending on which trail we picked, we might have to travel for quite a while before it turns cold, or we find any clues that it is, in fact, the right one."

"I see. I'm not great with tactics, and I've never heard of this kind of manoeuvre before."

Yukimura merely hummed, as he had no idea how he could word a reply without making it sound like an insult. While trying to get a rise out of her hadn't worked so far, he didn't want to know how she would react if he were to say something that would truly offend her.

"Who do you serve again?", he asked instead, since he truly didn't know.

"Princess Elise."

"Ah, I see."

Out of all the Nohrian siblings, she did seem to be the most decent one, even though that cheerful facade of hers might very well just be an act.

"Well then, I'd better use the time until lunch is ready to squeeze in some practise", Effie announced. "I'll just be over there, should you need anything."

Without waiting for a reply she took off towards some boulders and, after inspecting them, picked up one of them and started doing squats.

Yukimura blinked, not sure if his mind was playing tricks on him. But no, Effie was still over there, still holding a boulder over her head.

 _Well, that explains where all that food goes. I had better make sure to never get on her bad side._

Shaking his head, the puppeteer went back to his own task.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I think that Yukimura's distrust and dislike of the Nohrians is more pronounced that Hana's or Subaki's, since he is older, and has witnessed more of the terrible things they did. I don't think that Hana or Subaki were old enough to have been terribly affected by Sumeragi's death, other than that he was their king.


	14. In Which There Is Fire

Next to her, Prince Leo fussed with the collar of his kimono, and Sakura had to smother a giggle.

She had been very surprised when Xander had approached her after lunch to ask on behalf of all of his siblings if it would be all right for them to attend the funeral. They wished to pay their respects to the fallen warriors, and after having overcome her initial shock, Sakura had seen no good reason to deny their request.

Outfitting them all with kimono on such short notice had been a bit of a hassle, but Sakura had taken comfort in the thought that the funeral wouldn't start until she arrived.

Now, they all stood side by side, draped in white, shimmering silk embroided with the finest threads in all of Hoshido. For reasons Sakura didn't quite understand, both Xander and Camilla had opted not to wear their crowns.

Sakura sobered when her gaze was drawn to the pyres – this was no time for fooling around.

As she had predicted, many miko and houshi had arrived, and townspeople had also gathered at the shrine. Even though the atmosphere was subdued, she could still hear the murmuring of the crowd.

Finally, Sakura gave the signal, and a gong was struck. Immediately, silence fell over the yard.

A miko bearing a burning torch approached, and Sakura grasped it carefully. Last time, Ryoma had been the one to set the pyre aflame... Now, she approached _his_ pyre, holding the flame to the kindling stuffed in between the wood, along with some incense. It soon caught fire and, once Sakura was satisfied that enough wood was burning so the flames wouldn't die, she turned towards Takumi's pyre.

Her throat constricted as she took in the form of her dearest brother. The coins covering his eyes gleamed in the sunlight – they would serve as payment on his last pilgrimage. Both he and Ryoma had been dressed in white as well, as was befitting pilgrims.

After having set fire to his pyre, Sakura returned to her original spot and handed the torch back to the miko.

And then they waited – it took a long while for the pyres to collapse, and the bodies to be turned to ash. The incense helped lessen the unpleasant smell of burning flesh somewhat.

Finally, the pyres had collapsed, and three more miko approached Sakura – two carrying urns, and one holding a large pair of chopsticks.

Sakura gingerly accepted the chopsticks, and approached the remains of Ryoma's pyre, the other two miko in tow. Trying to stay in healer-mode so she wouldn't break down there and then, Sakura picked up the charred bones and placed them in the urn. Normally, this task would be performed by all the closest family members of the deceased together – but her only other close relative was not here, and so Sakura had to do it by herself.

Takumi's remains were placed in the other urn, and the miko then started a procession back to the palace – the urns would be kept there for a while before being placed in graves.

Elise was dabbing at her eyes with a small piece of cloth, and Sakura had a feeling this had nothing to do with all the smoke.

The crowd was already dissolving, and Sakura suggested they should head back, as well.

Since the shrine had been built close to the castle, they had come on foot. However, Sakura soon found that the short distance from the shrine to the castle was one of the hardest roads she had ever walked.

She tried to move as fast as possible, wanting to be well out of sight before she inadvertently broke down – preferably back in her rooms where the Nohrians couldn't see her, either. However, tears soon began blurring her vision. Determined not to let them fall, Sakura didn't notice the obstacle in front of her until her foot got caught on it, and she tumbled to the ground with a surprised squeak.

She had the presence of mind to catch herself with her hands instead of landing face-first in the gravel. Blinking rapidly to clear her mind and vision, Sakura gingerly sat back on her heels.

By now, the Nohrians, who had been following her at a respectful distance, had surrounded her, and Elise was crouching down in front of her, worry etched into her face.

"Show me your hands", she said softly.

Confused, Sakura did as asked, and noticed that the gravel had bitten into her skin, breaking it in places. Elise tutted and produced the cloth she had used earlier to brush gravel and dirt off Sakura's hands. Sakura winced.

"Sorry", Elise muttered. "But you know I need to clean this, as best as I can – I knew I should have brought my staff. Stupid rules."

Sakura refrained from reminding Elise that visitors were not permitted to bring weapons and even staves to the shrine, as the Nohrian princess clearly remembered.

"All right, here's what we're gonna do. I'll head back to my room and get my staff. Xander, move her somewhere out of sight – her rooms, preferably."

She stuffed the cloth back into the neckline of her kimono and took off as fast as she could.

"Leo", Xander ordered.

"Right."

The second prince immediately took off after his sister, both soon disappearing from view.

Sakura started when Camilla suddenly bent down to lift her off the ground, almost as if Sakura were just a ragdoll – then again, she did wield an enormous axe in battle. Being cradled in Camilla's arms was not exactly helping Sakura at the present, however, and she desperately wished Hinoka were here.

Kamui took the lead and entered the gardens through one of the doors emerging into the courtyard, probably intending to circle around the building to minimise the chances of encountering anyone. Sakura couldn't see Xander, so she assumed he was walking somewhere behind Camilla.

"Uh – Sakura, I don't remember where exactly your room was", Kamui said after a while.

"Around the c-corner. Third d-door."

"Got it."

Kamui went on ahead to slide the door open for Camilla, who apparently didn't feel like putting Sakura down until she was safely back inside her room. She carefully placed Sakura on her futon before standing back.

Xander was the last one to enter. After having slid the door shut, he moved a bit further into the room. Sakura did her best to ignore his penetrating stare – it was bad enough that they had seen her cry.

Somewhere behind her, Kamui let out a gasp.

"What is it?", Camilla asked sharply.

"Look", Kamui breathed.

Sakura refused to turn around, knowing perfectly well what it was that Kamui had spotted. Her dolls, sitting neatly against the wall just below one of the windows.

"Oh, my", Camilla replied, her tone tinged with awe. "These are so accurate. There's even one of you here."

Kamui made no reply. Turning her head ever so slightly, Sakura caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye. Kamui was crouching on the floor, the tips of her fingers brushing the doll that bore her likeness.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to throw her out.

 _How dare she!_

Xander's attention had been diverted by his sisters, but Sakura didn't know if she was glad about this, or not. She rarely ever showed her dolls to anyone, and she would have never voluntarily shown them to these people.

It didn't take Elise long to arrive. She immediately sat down next to Sakura and raised her staff. The gem at the tip began to glow, and Sakura felt a tingling sensation as her skin started knitting back together. She had been healed before, but it still felt weird every time.

"Xander?", Leo called from outside.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing? You're inside Princess Sakura's _bedroom_!"

"So? It's not like we are doing anything inappropriate", Xander replied as he moved towards the door.

"You know what the gossips are like!", Leo snapped. "They won't care that nothing happened. They'll turn 'nothing' into a juicy story before you know it."

Xander paused at the doorway, casting a quick glance in Elise's direction.

"I'll leave the princess in your care."

"Sure thing", Elise replied.

Camilla and Kamui were talking in subdued voices, admiring the dolls, and Sakura's handiwork. Normally, Sakura would have been pleased to receive such praise, especially since the dolls meant so much to her, but now, she couldn't help feeling bitter.

"There, all done", Elise announced, lowering her staff. "Does anything still hurt? Can you move your fingers normally?"

Sakura wriggled her fingers and found that everything was back to normal. She had never been healed by anyone using a Nohrian staff before, so she wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it seemed to work just the same as a festal.

"E-everything's fine", she replied. "Th-thank you."

"Not at all. I'm a healer, you know. Just doing my job."

Sakura managed a small smile.

"All right, everybody out. Give Princess Sakura some time to herself, and, for heaven's sake, stop poking around her stuff!"

With her hands placed on her hips and her feet planted apart, Elise was quite a sight, and both Camilla and Kamui had the decency to look a bit ashamed.

"Out!", Elise repeated, making a shooing motion with her hand.

Her sisters complied, but Elise hesitated before quitting the room.

"I know I'm probably not the right person to say this, but – should you need anything, I'll try my best to help. Just so you know."

Elise then quickly left the room, leaving Sakura somewhat bewildered. She could hear voices coming through the closed door, apparently, Xander was questioning his sister. They spoke very quietly, though, and Sakura couldn't understand them. After a while, the voices fell silent, and Sakura deduced that they had left.

Since Ai wasn't here, Sakura undressed on her own and carefully set the kimono aside before dressing in the yukata she wore for bed. She then crawled under the blanket, determined not to come out again today as she started crying into her pillow.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I researched Japanese burial rites pretty early on, as soon as I decided that there would be a funeral in this story. People can't really seem to decide if white or black is the colour for mourning, and I decided to go with white. The three days-rule was actually a thing in Japan (don't know if it's still an issue today) due to the climate. I don't know if there ever were any public funerals, though, so I'll just call that artistic license.

 **Glossary:**

yukata – a simple kimono made from cotton


	15. In Which Xander Has a Request

To say that Xander was worried was an understatement. After Sakura had skipped the second meal in a row, the prince had decided that he had to take action.

He knew how devastating grief could be first-hand – he had not only lost both his parents, but also a large number of siblings, friends and comrades-in-arms. However, he had always had someone to offer him support and comfort, whereas Sakura had no family or friends to lean on – at least as far as he knew. And, if no-one helped her cope with her grief, she might very well develop harmful patterns, decide to give up on life or even end it herself.

Her death would not only be very inconvenient in regards to his plans, no, Xander also felt no small amount of guilt for having brought this fate upon her. Had the imposter not arrived when he did, they might have found a way to spare Ryoma, at least – he wasn't so sure about Takumi, as the younger prince had already been pretty deranged.

Therefore, after breakfast, Xander had marched into the kitchen and bluntly informed the staff that they would have to make their princes eat, no matter how, if they didn't want her to starve herself. Then, he had tracked down her handmaiden, who was the closest thing to a friend Sakura had for all he knew, and had informed her of the gravity of the situation. The woman had been positively terrified of him, but she did seem to get the message.

Xander had then spent the next couple of hours hidden away in his rooms as he pondered a predicament of his own. He had, obviously, never attended a Hoshidan funeral before. His education on anything Hoshidan really had only comprised military and tactical topics, he had never learned anything about the culture or traditions of their eastern neighbours. Therefore, Xander had simply assumed that Hoshidans buried their people in coffins, whole, as they did in Nohr. He did know that preparing the dead for burial was done differently in different areas, but would have never guessed that the Hoshidans burned their dead, and placed their charred remains in urns.

However, this newfound knowledge did present him with a possible solution for a problem of his own.

After having spent some more time deliberating, Xander made his way to Sakura's quarters, certain she wouldn't have left them. Not only did he wish to discuss his request with her, he also wanted to check on her. He had to squash the urge to offer her comfort, though – since she would probably misinterpret his condolences or concern as spiteful words, or simply not wish to be comforted by an enemy.

There was also a possibility that she would throw him out as soon as he showed up.

 _Don't get so worked up. Surely, she'll listen to our request first – worst case, she'll decline, and then we will just come up with another plan._

Xander took a deep breath upon reaching Sakura's door before rapping his fingers against it. Moments later, the door was opened a fraction, and Sakura's servant peeked out.

"Is Princess Sakura up? Can I see her?"

"Hai. One moment."

She closed the door again, probably to make the room presentable or something. Moments later, she was back and allowed Xander to enter.

Sakura was sitting behind her desk, which was covered in papers, apparently, she had been attempting to distract herself with work. Good. Xander also spotted a teacup, so she was at least drinking, if not eating.

However, one look at her face told him that she was far from doing fine – she was pale, and the dark bags underneath her eyes as well as the amount of popped blood vessels within told him that she had spent most of the night crying instead of sleeping.

Even her voice sounded somewhat raspy when she greeted him and offered him a seat. Xander carefully lowered himself to the floor – Hoshidan furniture was still something he needed to get used to.

He decided to refrain from inquiring after her well-being – it would have been the polite thing to do, but also merely a rhetorical question, as it was quite obvious that she was unwell.

"Princess Sakura, I know this is sudden, but I had an idea this morning, and, since I need your cooperation in order for it to work, I would like to request your assistance, or consent, at the very least."

Sakura blinked, apparently not having expected an address like that, before folding her hands in her lap.

"Do t-tell. I'll s-see what I can do to h-help."

"Thank you. You see, in Nohr, we do not burn our dead – instead, they are placed in wooden caskets and buried in the ground. While most of the bodies of our dead have been collected and are on their way to Nohr, I've had no idea what to do about my father's body so far – the funeral won't take place until we return to Nohr, but preserving his body for so long would be difficult if not dangerous – I don't want an epidemic to spread. However, the way you bury your dead has given me an idea, and so I came to ask – if it is not too presumptuous of me – if you would give us permission to have our father's body burned."

Sakura was silent for a while, and Xander tried not to show just how aggravating her silence was. She probably needed time to order her thoughts, but waiting for her reply was still killing him. It had been a long time, after all, since he had requested something that he truly wanted or needed, and there had been a chance his request would be denied.

"I see n-no reason to r-refuse your request", she said at length. "W-would you like a religious c-ceremony as well?"

"No, no need to bother with that. We will do that once we get home. I just – keeping his remains in an urn seems a lot more practical to me, and with less risks involved. We just need a pyre."

Sakura shot him a rather shrewd look.

"D-did you discuss this w-with your siblings?"

"No. I thought it better to secure your permission first."

"They might not like the i-idea", she warned him. "F-foreigners are usually appalled, f-from what I've b-been told, when they learn of our ways."

"I understand. However, I do believe they will see things as I do. We can still place the urn in a coffin later on."

"Very w-well. Come talk to m-me again once you have spoken w-with them, and then w-we can work out the details. If a p-pyre is all you need, we could p-probably do it in the c-courtyard, so less p-people will know."

"Thank you. I am most grateful for your understanding."

Sakura shrugged a shoulder.

"I c-can empathise", she murmured. "You j-just lost a p-parent, too."

"I hardly think I am deserving of your kindness", Xander replied, almost exasperated.

"N-no, it's not that – I u-understand, is a-all."

"You are too kind. And I don't mean that as an empty phrase."

Sakura looked uncomfortable.

"Y-you make it s-sound as if I was some kind of s-saint", she protested. "I'm not. Not in the s-slightest."

"I fear we must agree to disagree, as you'll find it somewhat hard to convince me of that", he replied with a chuckle.

Sakura actually blushed at that. Her bashfulness was quite endearing.

Xander still didn't have any intention of making her too uncomfortable, since that would most likely cause her to retreat into her shell completely and not come out again. Teasing someone who took everything as much to heart as she did was not something he enjoyed.

"Well then, I shall not keep you from your work any longer. I'll talk to my siblings and let you know what we've decided."

"V-very well. Oh, about a teacher for you – I haven't had the time to ask anybody y-yet, but I h-haven't forgotten."

"Please, do not consider this a matter of high priority. You must have other things to worry about."

"Well, yes, b-but – I just wanted you t-to know."

"Thank you."

Xander inclined his head in a gesture of farewell before getting up on unsteady legs and departing from her room.

* * *

 **A/N:**

This chapter is being told from Xander's point of view for a change, since I feel that I use Sakura's a bit too much. And yes, Xander is speaking to himself using the pluralis maiestatis. I do that, too.

Here's a short explanation on Sakura's thoughts and feelings in this conversation, since she seems very much at ease especially considering how uncomfortable Xander and his siblings made her in the previous chapter: Sakura is desperately looking for something to distract her from her grief, but too selfless to ask for help – which is why she tried to bury herself with work at first. However, being able to talk to someone works a lot better, and she doesn't care that the person she uses as a distraction is Xander. She might have even put up with Kamui.


	16. In Which There Is a Debate

"You want to do what?!", Camilla exclaimed.

"I believe I expressed myself clearly enough, sister dear", Xander replied coolly.

Sensing that Camilla was about to blow up, Kamui closed her eyes and wandered to the other side of the room, wishing she was anywhere but here.

"It's utterly barbaric! When I realised what they would do to the bodies of their _princes_..."

"I thought it was pretty touching", Elise chimed in. "Though I felt very sorry for Princess Sakura – she had to do everything by herself..."

"That's completely beside the point!", Camilla seethed. "We're talking about _our father's body_ here!"

"We don't really have many alternatives", Leo replied. "If we sent his body on ahead, he would be buried upon arrival, without any of us being present. If you'd prefer that?"

Camilla scowled.

"And making the Hoshidans keep the remains of the man who conquered their nation, butchered their people and caused the deaths of almost all members of their royal family would be extremely callous, not to mention the aforementioned risk of an epidemic", Kamui added.

"So you two are siding with Xander?", Camilla asked in disbelief.

"It's the logical thing to do", Leo replied.

"Elise? What is your opinion on this?", Xander asked.

Elise bit her lip and gave the matter some thought before replying.

"It is kind of weird to imagine this happening to our own father, or rather, his body", she said at length. "But I do think Xander is right. Especially considering Princess Sakura is kind enough to support us in this."

"Looks like you're outnumbered", Leo observed.

"Fine", Camilla grumbled. "Do whatever you want. I still disapprove."

"Disapprove all you like. I'll get back in touch with Princess Sakura so we can begin the necessary preparations."


	17. In Which There Are Pursuers

Days had blurred together into an undefinable mess, and Hinoka had lost count of them. She had no idea how much time had actually passed since that ill-fated day, when she had been forced to run for her life.

Hinoka still seethed when she recalled the humiliation.

Her first priority had been to get her surviving men as far away from the capital as possible, laying some false trails in the process. Luckily, one of the survivors was a kinshi knight, which had made this endeavour much easier.

However, once she was a relatively safe distance away from the capital, depressing thoughts had begun to plague her, and Hinoka had actually contemplated taking her own life so she wouldn't have to live with the shame. However, she still had a duty to her kingdom – she had no idea if any of her siblings were still alive – they had not received word from either Takumi or Sakura after their respective positions had been overrun, and there was a realistic chance that Ryoma would die fighting.

He had always been very stubborn.

So there was a chance that she was the last child of King Sumeragi to still walk this earth, and therefore, Hinoka had to carry on.

Granted, the royal line wouldn't die out with her, since she still had some distant relatives, but she'd rather not hand the throne to any of them. No, it would be better if she started a campaign to retake Hoshido herself.

Though she had no real plans for that.

What irked Hinoka most was that she didn't have any mages with her – mages were very useful when travelling cross-country, but for lack of them, they had to rely on physical means to find their way across the mountains. Unfortunately, Asama's magic hadn't been strong enough for him to learn anything other than healing, which was why he had been trained to use naginata instead of scrolls.

The remainder of the men (and women) were different kinds of fighters, though Setsuna and the kinshi knight were the only archers.

One of the warriors had given Hinoka a spare naginata – she would have much preferred to use her own over a borrowed one, but even a borrowed weapon was better than no weapon at all.

Obtaining provisions had been virtually to impossible – Hinoka hadn't dared approach any villages for fear of leaving a trail for the enemy to follow – or worse, run into occupying soldiers. She had no idea how far the Nohrian army had marched into Hoshido, and how they would go about conquering the entire country – you didn't win a war simply by seizing the capital, after all.

So instead, they had hunted for game and eaten whatever berries and roots they could find. Hinoka made sure never to let Setsuna go forage on her own, though – she simply couldn't afford to spend hours searching for that airheaded retainer of hers if she got lost or managed to get trapped in some kind of hunting snare.

Hinoka assumed that, by now, they were far away enough from the capital to begin actual planning, and decide where she would want to go from here. She knew that if they kept heading west, they would eventually reach the Bottomless Canyon, and that crossing it would be difficult, especially with footsoldiers. If she headed east instead, she would reach the coast, but that would land her relatively near the capital, and it was possible that the Nohrians would try to conquer that are next. From where they were at the moment, they couldn't reach any territory where they might find aid, so Hinoka decided that their best option would be to start heading south-west and either try and cross the Bottomless Canyon at some point, or reach the southern end of the canyon and just cross the mountains there.

She was still undecided if Cheve or Izumo would be a better choice – Takumi's attempts to bolster the rebellion in Cheve had been a failure, after all, and the city had probably been overrun by Nohrian troops, but she wasn't sure whose side Archduke Izana was on, either. He might very well be supporting the Nohrians, and hand her over to them as soon as she arrived.

"Hinoka-sama, I think we are being tracked!", one of her watchers suddenly called.

"What?", Hinoka exclaimed, jumping to her feet and joining the woman on the outcrop of rock serving as an outlook post.

"I saw a flare just now. Look, there goes another", the ninja replied, pointing.

It really was just a flare, nothing fancy – Hinoka guessed that it was some kind of signal.

"I assume these were from two different teams", the ninja said. "Maybe they use some kind of code."

"It's safe to assume these are not our own men, I guess", Hinoka replied.

"I'm afraid so. Someone is coming after us."

"Those damned Nohrians. Should have never trusted on their word", the princes growled. "I guess it was easy for them to find our trail leading away from the battlefield... Any indication if either of these two teams is on the right track?"

"It's impossible to say from here. I can't locate them precisely, I can only make an estimation based on the flares."

"Damn. Then we'd better get moving before they gain on us. Gather the men. Make sure Setsuna is here."

"Understood. We should also consider leaving obstacles in their path – but nothing too fancy or artificial-looking, so they won't know we've realised that we're being followed."

"Good idea. And erase all tracks of our campsite."

"At once."

* * *

 **A/N:**

I bet you've all been waiting for this. Hinoka is alive and kicking, and quite determined to stay that way. I think it's very plausible that she never heard from Takumi and Sakura after the wall and Fort Jinya had fallen, and even if the Nohrians told her that Sakura was still alive (which I don't remember), she has no guarantee that they decided to keep her alive later on, especially since she had to face the very likely possibility that Hoshido would lose this war. Just like Sakura, Hinoka wouldn't expect the Nohrians to keep enemy royalty alive.

 **Glossary:**

Setsuna – to get lost, to wander. I had to laugh so hard when I realised how perfect that name is for this character.

naginata – a glaive that can be used to batter, stab, or hook an opponent, but due to their relatively balanced center of mass, they are often spun and turned to proscribe a large radius of reach. The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-bugeisha-archetype, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. Naginata for fighting men and warrior monks were ō-naginata. The kind used by women was called ko-naginata.

Takumi – carpenter, craftsman


	18. In Which There Is Grief

**A/N:**

It occurred to me that I might have made Kamui appear like a heartless monster/villain in this story, which was not at all my intention – this story doesn't feature any villains (they're dead already), just many hurt people.

This is, I believe, due to the fact that the story is mostly being told from Sakura's and Xander's PoVs, and, if they don't notice Kamui's behaviour, the reader won't find out about it.

I had always intended to write the next segment from Kamui's PoV, but a review posted by one of my faithful reviewers, Maxcy Leland, prompted me to delve a bit deeper into Kamui's thoughts and feelings, and not just at the moment – I'll also cover things that happened after Mikoto's death.

So, my dear Maxcy, you now have a chapter dedicated to you.

* * *

The next morning, preparations for late King Garon's funeral were underway – Sakura had ordered the palace guards to keep the gates closed, and servants had started working on the pyre as soon as the sun was up – which was early. Kamui still needed to get used to all that sunlight.

If she was being quite honest, Kamui wasn't at all looking forward to attending the second funeral within two days – even though she had done her utmost not to show it, the events from yesterday had taken their toll, and it had been immensely painful to watch the bodies of her Hoshidan brothers burn – partly so because Kamui blamed herself for their deaths.

In addition to that, she had no idea how to act, how to _grieve_ – she was fearful of offending the Hoshidans, in particular Sakura, if she grieved too openly over Ryoma and Takumi, since they might think she was trying to mock them. She also wasn't quite sure how her Nohrian siblings would react – they had, in the early stages of the war, not shown a lot of understanding for her fear of having to fight the other half of her family.

When Mikoto had died, there had been no time for a funeral, no time for grief – they had left almost right after Kamui had managed to return to her human form after learning that the Nohrian army had crossed the border. Kamui had gone with the others in an attempt to stop them from fighting, but when asked to choose a side, she had been unable to turn her back on the siblings she had grown up with.

 _I wonder, would things have turned out differently, had I chosen Hoshido instead? Would we have had peace instead of war? Or would Ryoma have led an army into Nohr, to end the military threat and to avenge his mother? Would I have had to face my Nohrian sib lings in battle, maybe even kill them?_

The very thought made her feel sick, and Kamui forced herself not to entertain thoughts of these "what-ifs".

If Kamui had originally thought that she would find time to grieve for her mother upon her return to Nohr, well, she was sorely disappointed. She would never have expected to be met with so much suspicion and hostility by the man she had called "father" almost all her life. Additionally, Xander and the others hadn't shown much understanding for her grief, since to them, Mikoto had only ever been an enemy and a hindrance.

So instead of grieving properly, Kamui had buried those feelings deep within her, only to have them resurface yesterday, when she'd watch the bodies of her brothers burn.

And today, it would be Garon's turn. Granted, Kamui had never been close to him, didn't even know if she'd ever met the real Garon, but he had been the only man she'd ever called "father", as she couldn't remember her own father, late King Sumeragi, at all.

It had been an immense relief to Kamui that they had managed to keep Sakura alive – she'd even gone as far as to beg Xander to use his influence to keep her safe – originally, she had wanted to extend their protection to Yukimura, Hana and Subaki as well, but Xander had warned her not to push her luck – Garon might overlook it if she wanted to protect Sakura from harm, especially since she could have been used as leverage against her siblings, but Xander had doubted that the others were of any significant worth to the king.

Azura and Kamui had sometimes debated visiting Sakura, but never been able to work up the courage.

And yesterday, after the funeral, she had seen the dolls.

She hadn't known about them, Sakura had never mentioned them during their sparse conversations. What had shocked her most was the fact that Sakura had even made a doll of her, and it was very accurate – it had been almost like looking into a mirror. She had no idea how long it usually took Sakura to make these kind of dolls, but it was possible that she hadn't been able to finish it before Kamui had left Hoshido again.

Thinking about this made her feel even worse.

Sakura still kept to her rooms and hadn't eaten a meal with them ever since the funeral, but when Kamui had expressed her concern on that matter to Xander, he had assured her that it was all taken care of – he had instructed the servants to make sure that Sakura wouldn't starve herself.

Kamui had been touched – she knew Xander well enough to see that he wasn't doing this merely for the sake of an alliance – he was actually worried about her. Then again, being an older brother, this was probably natural for him.

The five siblings were still sitting in the dining hall for lack of having anything better to do, waiting for preparations to be completed. No-one spoke, all were lost in thoughts of their own.

Finally, a servant arrived to inform them that everything was ready.

One by one, they filed out into the courtyard, their respective retainers following. Garon's body was already in place on top of the pyre, but unlike Ryoma and Takumi, he was wearing the clothes he had died in. According to what Leo had told her, kings and queens of Nohr would normally be washed and dressed in clean, elaborate clothes before their burial, but Garon hadn't really brought an extensive wardrobe with him, and so Xander had decided to just leave him like this. He had only had his armour and crown removed.

Kamui was surprised to see three mikos in place, equipped with torch, urn and chopsticks. She frowned slightly at that.

"I thought this wasn't going to be a religious ceremony?", she asked Xander, confused.

"I told Princess Sakura as much", he replied. "But we wouldn't be able to make do without a torch and the urn, and I'd rather not touch the bones with my bare hands."

"Good point."

Much to Kamui's surprise, the miko bearing the torch made no move to start proceedings, and she was about to say something about her lack of action when Sakura emerged into the courtyard, followed by her servant.

She was not dressed in white, but wore one of her usual colourful kimonos instead. She stopped on the far side of the pyre, hands clasped in front, her face blank.

"Oh my!", Elise gasped.

"She looks awful", Kamui agreed. "Poor Sakura..."

"I wish we could somehow cheer her up..."

"Quiet!", Leo hissed. "This _is_ a funeral, you know."

Kamui noticed Xander and Sakura exchanging a glance, then Sakura signalled to the women.

The first miko approached Xander and handed him the torch. His face white and his jaw clenched, he accepted the torch and approached the pyre. Mimicking Sakura's actions from yesterday, he made sure to set the kindling and wood ablaze before handing the torch back and returning to his original position.

Elise sniffled, and Camilla put an arm around her shoulders, wordlessly offering comfort. Leo's face was a mask, just like Xander's, but Kamui struggled to remain composed – she was grieving, not only for Garon, but for her mother, brothers and all the other people whose lives had been destroyed by this pointless war.

The wooden beams creaked and groaned as the flames burned higher. Once again, the Hoshidans had placed incense within the pyre, and Kamui was very grateful for that.

The pyre began to collapse as the flames ate away wood and flesh. Soon, nothing was left but charred wood and singed bones.

Xander accepted the chopsticks handed to him and approached the pyre again. He struggled a bit with picking up the bones – chopsticks were still causing them trouble when they were normal-sized ones, but these were huge. However, he refused to ask for help (and no-one dared offer it), opting instead to overcome this trial by himself.

Kamui could hear the soft "click" the lid made when it was slid in place. It was done.

"Xander-sama, where would you like us to place the urn?", the miko asked.

"Take it to my rooms for now. Thank you."

The miko bowed and left, the other two in tow. Kamui let out a shuddering breath.

"Are you all right, darling?", Camilla asked.

"Y-yeah."

"You know, it's better to let it out."

"Maybe later", Kamui croaked.

"Of course."

Xander was still standing in the same spot, looking a bit forlorn, but roused himself from his daze when Sakura approached, her servant trailing behind her.

"I h-hope everything w-was to your satisfaction, Prince Xander", she said softly.

"Indeed it was. Thank you. Though there really was no need to rush things like that."

"It i-is already the fourth day", Sakura replied. "We would not have b-been able to keep h-his body much longer. Maybe it's different in N-nohr, but here, b-bodies start decaying soon."

"I had thought as much. Also, thank you for coming – that was certainly unexpected."

"I though it b-better to be here – to make it a-abundantly clear that this w-was happening with m-my knowledge and b-blessing. O-otherwise, someone might have – interrupted."

"I see. That was very thoughtful of you."

"Uh, right. A-anyway, I'll be off. L-lots to do."

She bowed halfway before seeming to change her mind and beating a hasty retreat.

Kamui shook her head in wonderment, and was totally baffled when Xander let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?", Elise asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I told her not to bow to me. Seems she forgot, but remembered halfway there."

"Oh dear", Leo said, sounding amused. "Bowing seems to be a big thing here, doesn't it."

"It's a sign of respect as well as a form of greeting", Kamui explained. "For her, it's probably routine."

"You think she bowed to her older siblings or her mother?"

"Maybe at official proceedings. I never saw her do it while I was here."

"I see. Well then, another thing taken care of. What are we going to do with it?"

"The urn?", Xander asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"Keep it somewhere safe. The last thing I want is someone messing with it. Leo, can I leave that to you and Odin?"

"Certainly. I'll get to it straight away. Odin!"

"My fell hand is at your service, my prince!"

"Come."

Leo and Odin disappeared into the house. Kamui wrapped her arms around herself as she suddenly felt chilled, rubbing them in an attempt to get warm again.

"Are you truly all right?", Xander asked, concern evident in his voice. "Camilla was right when she said that you need to let it out. If you close yourself off – like Princess Sakura is currently doing – you might harm yourself in the process. You are not alone in this, you know."

"I do. It's just – Sakura was watching, and..."

"I see. You did not want to grieve for the man who destroyed her life right in front of her."

"Yeah. She probably already hates me, and I don't really want to make it worse – I still haven't been able to work up the courage to actually talk to her. Heh, I'm so pathetic..."

"No, you're not. It is a difficult situation, for both of you. You should also probably give her some time before you have a talk with her. She will need to rest and recover, just as you."

"But still - "

"No 'buts', little Princess. I am more familiar with these things than you are."

"Very well..."

"We should probably head back inside", Camilla said. "I imagine they will open up the gates eventually."

Elise looped her arm through Kamui's and tugged her back inside, leaning into her as they walked. Kamui placed her arms around her shoulders, offering a short prayer of thanks for having such a wonderful sister.


	19. In Which Sakura Confronts Her Fears

**A/N:**

This is another favourite part of mine, and one of the earliest scenes I came up with.

WARNING: Lots of shameless fluff ahead.

* * *

"U-um - "

Xander spun on the spot to find himself face-to-face with Princess Sakura – well, sort of, anyway, since she was busy inspecting her feet.

"Princess Sakura! Forgive me, I did not realise you were there."

"Uh, that's all r-right."

Xander hadn't seen her since the funeral yesterday morning – she had kept herself busy with work and taken her meals in her rooms – but at the very least, she wasn't wasting away.

"Did you need something of me?"

He assumed that she did, otherwise, she wouldn't have tracked him down as he was wandering the corridors of Castle Shirasagi.

"Un – I had w-wanted to talk t-to you."

"About?"

"Oh, uh – I hadn't r-really thought about that y-yet..."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'm not the best when it comes to small talk. You would be better off with my sisters – Elise in particular - "

"N-no! I wanted to t-talk to _y-you_."

"Why?"

"B-because you're the s-scariest person I know!"

Xander stared at her. Sakura paled.

"Oh, oh n-n-no – that came o-out the wrong way – I'm s-so sorry - "

She bowed, again, and was about to flee. Xander, however, was having none of that.

"You need not apologise. You are not the first person to fear me, nor will you be the last. It is something I have come to accept, though I do not encourage it. It can be useful at times, though."

"Uh – yes?"

"Walk with me?"

"A-all right."

Sakura fell into step beside him, and Xander spent a few moments considering how much he should reveal to her.

"This might come as a surprise to you, but when I was younger, I was just like you", he said at length.

"W-what? I can't believe th-that!", Sakura exclaimed, looking up at him with wide, astonished eyes.

"It's true. I was a very shy child who could barely made eye contact, and was also rather clumsy with the sword – which frustrated my father to no end. As crown prince, big expectations were placed on me, and one day, I decided I had to change. So I did the same thing you did – I decided to speak to the most frightening person I knew."

"Who w-was that?"

"My father."

"Your fa- oh dear."

"As you can see, it helped, and I am convinced that, with practise, you would improve much, maybe even stop stammering completely. I would be more than happy to assist you in this endeavour, princess."

"Oh – th-thank you. I had f-feared that you w-wouldn't want to t-talk to me any more after that b-blunder just now..."

Xander lightly shook his head.

"Like I said, I am used to this."

"And you d-don't mind? I w-would feel very uncomfortable if p-people were scared of me."

"I can imagine that. I would say that it is a necessary evil – do you know anything about Nohrian politics, or life at court?"

"N-no. Only what you h-have told me."

"Hm... I suppose that a lack of diplomatic ties will have made it difficult for your people to learn anything about these things – the occasional merchant making the trip to Windmire was unlikely to hear anything interesting about the nobility, after all.  
"The royal court at Windmire was a toxic environment for anyone, in particular a child of royal blood. I believe I already told you that Azura was my step-sister?"

Sakura nodded.

"Right. What you probably don't know is that Camilla, Leo and Elise are my half-siblings – each born to my father by one of his mistresses. He had many of those, and I came close to losing count of how many half-siblings I had."

"Oh my – and I thought our f-family was s-strange..."

"What do you mean?"

"W-well, Mikoto wasn't really my m-mother, you see. She was Kamui's. My m-mother died shortly after g-giving birth to m-me, and my father, King Sumeragi, m-married Mikoto. Supposedly, it caused quite the s-scandal."

"I can imagine. It must have been very similar to when my father decided to marry Arete on the spot. So what you mean to say is that Kamui was born out of wedlock? I had no idea."

"Uh, yes. That."

"I see. Anyway, my father's mistresses were constantly vying for power and prestige, and they used their children as bargaining chips in their petty wars. He encouraged this, and very often, it would get out of hand – Leo, Elise and Camilla are the only ones still alive today."

"They – they k-killed the other ones' children?", Sakura asked, aghast.

"Indeed. These were dark times – I didn't know at the time that, as crown prince and the former queen's son, my position was relatively secure, and so I became embroiled in the mistresses' conflict. I still tried to look out for my siblings whenever I could, but there was only so much I could do, especially since father – or the imposter – didn't care if his 'family' tore itself apart. Even after father finally decided it was enough, the four of us still had to watch our backs – there were intrigues, assassination attempts even – in order to keep our enemies off our back, Camilla, Leo and I started wearing masks – hiding our true feelings and thoughts behind an artificial persona, and only showing who we truly were when amongst the people we trusted. I embodied the stern, unyielding crown prince – one who would not hesitate to administer justice and punish wrongdoings. Camilla lived her volatile side – she would be sweet and caring towards her family, our younger siblings in particular, but frightening in her anger, and unpredictable at all times. Leo, who showed promise as a tactician early on, pretended to be an unfeeling, cold person who only cared about numbers, not lives. Elise – Elise is the only one who did not hide who she was. She was like a ray of light in all the darkness, and we older ones made it abundantly clear that we would make anyone who dared to harm her pay for it, dearly. I do not believe Elise is aware of any of that. She was still very young."

"I see. I w-won't say anything to her."

"Thank you."

"This s-sounds so awful – I mean, I d-do believe that I occasionally got a glimpse of what you're h-hiding beneath that facade, I just n-never understood why you w-were acting that way – it has n-never been that way in Hoshido. Sure, we have intrigues, but no-one would have d-dared to harm a member of the r-royal family..."

"You Hoshidans were blessed indeed", Xander replied, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "You always had everything in abundance, even peace."

"But that w-was not our fault", Sakura replied quietly. "I-it's not like we took all those th-things away from Nohr!"

"I know that", he replied heavily. "Forgive me for my outburst – it's just, being here makes me realise just how unfair the world is. We didn't even have enough sunlight to grow decent crops and keep our people from starving! I know you are the least person who is to be blamed for that – if anyone truly is to be blamed – but sometimes, it just becomes a little too much. I am sorry."

Sakura grimaced.

"It does sound very unfair – u-unless a storm or something devastates our crops, we always h-have a bountiful h-harvest, and there is n-no poverty, as far as I'm aware. I am certain w-we would have been able to share – I h-have no idea why our countries n-never got along..."

"But we now have a chance to change the world for the better – if, for example, you could trade your surplus of food for something that you don't have in Hoshido, Nohr would recover, and there would be no more need for us to go to war over resources."

Sakura hummed in agreement.

"I d-don't think you should be n-negotiating this k-kind of thing with me, though..."

"Indeed. I could probably make you agree to any of my demands, no matter how absurd", Xander replied with a chuckle.

"A-are you making f-fun of me?", Sakura asked, a mix of surprise and indignation in her voice.

"Maybe a little bit."

"How r-rude!"

That actually made him laugh. The little Hoshidan princess, scolding him for being rude...

Sakura stopped dead, and stared at him, her mouth agape. Seeing her startled expression only served to increase his mirth, but Xander managed to calm himself somewhat.

Sakura slightly shook her head.

"That w-was – unexpected."

"Against popular belief, I do smile on occasion. And in very rare cases I even laugh."

"B-but your f-frown is still there", she observed.

"Hm. I'm afraid I can't stop frowning any more", he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"It's p-part of what makes you so s-scary", she said, nodding sagely.

"Then I will attempt to frown less. I did not realise it made you so uneasy, since everyone I interact with on a regular base is used to it."

"That w-would help a lot. I always thought y-you were going to e-eat me alive or something..."

"Oh dear. While I will admit that making an arrogant and condescending prick of a noble quake in his boots is quite satisfying, I do not enjoy frightening people who have done nothing to deserve it, in particular commoners. I should be there to protect them, after all, and they should feel safe around me – not scared."

"You a-are a much better person than I g-gave you credit for", Sakura said softly. "I apologise for judging you t-too quickly."

"Not at all. Given our history, you had absolutely no reason to think well of me, or any of my siblings. I am, frankly, surprised that you have come to this conclusion. It would be more logical for you to hate me."

Sakura bit her lip.

"I w-won't say that I don't f-feel anger, lots of it, on occasion – b-but I don't like f-feeling that way. B-besides, you have always treated me with courtesy and r-respect, and there w-was no need for you to do that... I have seen n-no evidence that you are a bad p-person, Prince Xander."

"I see. Still, thank you. I am pleased to hear that."

"Oh! I have f-found you a t-teacher – an elderly monk who is, as he said, w-willing to help anyone on his road to enlightenment."

"Enlightenment. That sounds fascinating."

Sakura chuckled.

"I can introduce you l-later, if you like."

"That would be most wonderful. Also, ah – I know it is not my place to say this, but – as you might have already guessed, I am quite familiar with different kinds of grief, as is Camilla. We understand what you're going through at the moment, so – if you ever need anyone to talk to about these things, we're here. There is no need for you to struggle by yourself."

Sakura once again bit her lip before replying, but Xander could see her lips trembling this time, and realised she was fighting back tears.

"Th-thank you. I appreciate the s-sentiment."

* * *

 **A/N:**

This part was largely inspired by their support conversations in Revelations, though I condensed the information shared into one conversation. Also, since their backstory in Conquest is different, I altered the dialogue a bit and embedded it into a conversation about what growing up at the Krakenburg was like for Xander and the others.


	20. In Which There Is a Competition

Sakura concluded that her little talk with Xander had been a success, all the awkwardness aside.

She would have never guessed that one as strong and confident-looking as him had faced similar problems as a child, though knowing this had made connecting with him easier.

Finding him a teacher had actually been a bit tricky, since most miko and houshi had been opposed to the idea of teaching him, for obvious reasons. However, she had finally managed to bait one monk by hinting that Xander was trying to become a better person.

Now she just hoped that Xander would never find out about that.

Following her little chat with Xander, Sakura made her way to the courtyard – since she finally felt recovered enough to leave her rooms again, it had been decided that she would pick a temporary replacement for her retainers today.

A group of young people had assembled in the courtyard when Sakura took her place on a cushion prepared for her. Some of her councillors were there as well to offer advice and insight.

At first, the contestants demonstrated their skill with their respective weapon separately before going up against one another with blunted weapons.

"This is Yue-san, the one I told you about, Sakura-hime", the man sitting next to Sakura murmured. "She's shown exceptional potential. She is the younger daughter of a noble from one of the eastern provinces."

Yue was a ninja equipped with shuriken and a katana, and even Sakura, with her limited experience, could tell that she was very skilled.

The last demonstration was a team fight – the candidates were split into two groups and told to compete against one another again. Sakura watched the proceedings like a hawk – this was probably the most important part so far, as she was looking for someone to guard her if need be.

Any contestant taking a hit that would count as fatal in a real fight would "die" and had to leave the field. Sakura was watching two samurai exchange a series of fierce blows and was totally unprepared for her neighbour to suck in a startled breath.

"What is it?"

"Yue-san just took a fatal hit!"

"Oh no! What h-happened?", Sakura asked, as she watched Yue step away from another member of her team and leave the field.

"Her comrade was in danger, and she took the blow aimed at him", the councillor replied.

"Oh! I see."

After a while, most of the fighters were out, and only two were left. They seemed so evenly matched, none could win the upper hand.

Sakura declared the competition over.

The men immediately lowered their weapons, bowed to her and went back to stand in a line with all the others.

Some of the councillors immediately began discussing what they had witnessed and offering suggestions as to who Sakura should pick, while at the same time being very careful not to make it sound like they were telling her what to do. Sakura listened to them for a while before announcing that she had made her choice.

"Yue-san!"

The ninja straightened up, probably out of surprise, before moving forward a couple of steps and kneeling, her head bowed in a gesture of respect.

"Yue-san, I would like to ask you to act as a replacement for m-my retainers until their return."

The ninja looked up at that, surprise evident on her face.

"But – Sakura-hime, I did not win", she replied, confused.

"I was told you 'died' taking a b-blow for one of your comrades. While I do not expect you to die for me, p-part of the reason I am picking a replacement is that Prince Xander fears that my life might be in d-danger. I do not need a strong fighter – I do not need a winner. I need someone willing and ready to protect me, if need be. You have proven capable of that."

"I understand. I am honoured to accept such a distinguished position, and vow on my family's honour that I will serve and protect you to the best of my ability."

"Thank you."


	21. In Which Music Is Instrumental

Today, Elise had decided she wanted to explore the gardens. Nohr had gardens, too, but they were not as lush and vibrant as the gardens here. There were also ponds filled with colourful fish, as well as bridges, benches and huge lanterns carved from stone. However, Elise had decided to stay well away from the bodies of water, lest her unfortunate retainer, Arthur, fall into one.

There were so many strange things here in Hoshido, and each and every one fascinated her.

Rounding one of the many corners of the palace to find herself in yet another part of the gardens, Elise stilled when she heard something strange – some kind of music. Elise was good at recognising instruments by their sound alone, but she couldn't place this one.

 _Maybe it's a Hoshidan instrument?_

She decided to investigate, and began heading towards the source of the music. She was startled when she realised she knew the tune, and not very much surprised to find out that the person playing that particular song was Princess Sakura.

Elise hopped onto the verandah and stopped a few feet away, partially hidden behind a column while signalling for Arthur to be quiet. Sakura was so engrossed in her art she didn't even realise Elise was there, which gave Elise the opportunity to observe her – and inspect the strange instrument – without making Sakura nervous, though Elise had noticed that the Hoshidan princess had begun to relax around her more.

The instrument Sakura was playing was a strange one – Elise had never seen anything quite like it. It was made from a rectangular block of wood which stood on four small legs in front of Sakura, who was sitting on the verandah. Strings spanned almost the entire length, and bridges were placed in intervals underneath each string. The strings weren't level with each other, very much like the ones on Elise's violin. The parts not covered by the strings were inlaid with carvings made from mother of pearl. Sakura was plucking the strings using the first three fingers of each hand with fluent and confident motions.

When she finally stopped playing, Elise couldn't stop herself from clapping.

"That was amazing!", she blurted out before she could think about what she was doing.

Sakura started, and looked up, her eyes wide.

"P-princess Elise! I didn't r-realise anyone was w-watching..."

"Please, don't. And I'm sorry for startling you."

Signalling for Arthur to stay back, she approached the other princess to get a closer look at the strange instrument.

"That was the song Azura always used to sing, wasn't it."

"Hai. It – offers some comfort."

"I see... Say, what kind of instrument is this? I've never seen anything like it before."

"It is c-called a koto. It i-is a traditional Hoshidan instrument."

"It has a very peculiar sound – I've never heard anything like it, and I know every instrument on our half of the continent."

"D-do you play an instrument yourself?"

"I play the violin."

"What is that?"

"Well, it's made from wood, like your koto, and it got strings, too, but it is much smaller, and I don't have to sit down to play it. And I normally use a bow instead of plucking the strings."

"A b-bow? As in – a bow?"

Elise chuckled.

"They were originally shaped like a regular bow, which is where they got their name. But the shape of the wood changed over time, and now it runs almost parallel to the hairs – we use horse hair instead of a string, you see."

"Curious."

"Heh, I probably did a really bad job at explaining what a violin looks like – would you like to see it?"

"Uh, sure."

"Great! Let's go to my room."

"You m-mean you brought your violin along with you when you w-went to war?"

"Yes. It doesn't weigh much, and you have no idea how nice it can be to just play and try to forget all the terrible things you've seen – music is almost as good as magic, you know."

"I – had never thought about that. Do y-you think it might help the sick if I w-were to play in the infirmary?"

"Definitely. Oh, Arthur? You're dismissed for now. Stay out of trouble."

"I will certainly try my utmost, princess, but you know my luck."

"I do indeed. Maybe I should try to find you a good luck-charm or a ward against misfortune..."

"Please, do not concern yourself with such trivial matters, milady. I will take whatever fate throws my way in stride with a smile."

"I'm sure you will", Elise replied, smiling.

Sakura had, in the meantime, instructed her servant to move her koto inside, and declared that she was ready to go.

"Does he g-get bad luck so much?", she asked, once they were out of earshot.

"He sure does", Elise replied grimly. "Any time he is out on an assignment, something goes wrong. Anything that can go wrong goes wrong, actually. I have no idea how one single person can be so unlucky. It's almost as if he is cursed."

"Oh dear. We do have shops here that s-sell charms and wards, though."

"Really? Could I buy one for Arthur? Or several?"

Sakura chuckled.

"Certainly."

They entered the building through one of the many doors leading out into the gardens and made their way to the guest wing.

"I actually have a selfish reason for asking you to come over", Elise admitted after a while. "Xander told me to back off and leave you be, but if you're coming over anyway – there's something I need your help with."

Sakura blinked.

"M-my help? I'll try to help in a-any way I can, but - "

"You are the only person I could think of who would be both able and willing to help me, not to mention the awkwardness if I asked anyone else... It's a bit complicated."

"I – see. Will you tell me more?"

"Sure. Once we get to my rooms."

They ran into a few Nohrian soldiers once they reached the guest wing, some of which cast curious glances in Sakura's direction, but thankfully, no-one did or said anything. Xander's warning that some of their men might target Sakura was still on Elise's mind.

Elise opened the door leading to her room and ushered Sakura inside before sliding the door shut. With a slight frown on her face, she turned to the other princess.

"Princess Sakura, when are you going to pick a replacement for your retainers?"

"Oh! I already did. Y-yesterday."

"Really? Shouldn't he or she be with you?"

"Yes – uh, Yue-san?"

A woman appeared out of thin air. Elise yelped, startled, but the woman didn't attack. Instead, she dropped down on one knee, her head bowed.

"You called, Sakura-hime?"

"Uh, yes – I just wanted to know if y-you were there. Since I couldn't t-tell."

"I will always be close, Sakura-hime."

"Right. Um, could you wait somewhere outside?"

"Of course."

The ninja vanished again, and Elise let out the breath she'd been holding.

"How did she do that?"

"I h-have no idea."

"Oh. I see. Anyway, the thing I need your help with is right here."

Elise picked up a box and placed it in the middle of the room, then carefully lifted the lid. Once she saw what was inside, Sakura gasped.

"A kimono! It's so b-beautiful! Where did you get it?"

"Azura gave it to me", Elise replied quietly. "But don't ask me how she was able to retrieve it from Hoshido, I have no idea."

Sakura cocked her head to the side.

"Azura had a kimono for you? Why? I mean, it doesn't m-make sense..."

"Well, there is a story behind it. You see, I was born after Azura had been kidnapped, and so we never knew each other as children – both Xander and Camilla could remember Azura, you know. Apparently, Azura was very sad when she found out that she had a baby sister she would never get to know, and told Queen Mikoto as much. So Queen Mikoto gave her this kimono and told her to give it to me the day we should meet – and so that's how it happened."

"That sound j-just like mother", Sakura replied quietly. "She loved Azura as much as she loved us. You know, when I was little, I always thought Azura was my s-sister as much as Hinoka was. When I grew older, I found out she was actually from Nohr – n-not that it mattered. Mother wanted us to be f-family. And we were, for most part."

"I see. From what I've heard, Azura's life here was a lot better than it had been in Nohr – which makes me glad."

"Yet she still chose to side with you in the end – I just d-don't understand why, and I can't even ask her, because she v-vanished!"

Elise squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm sorry – I should have realised this would upset you – I shouldn't have shown this to you..."

"N-no, it's all right. It's not your fault. The whole situation is just so – so - "

"I understand."

"A-anyway, what exactly did you need my help with? Does it have anything to do with the kimono?"

"Oh, right. Yes, it does – you see, I have no idea how to put it on. But I would like to wear it – well, be able to wear it. Not sure if it would be a good idea for me to be walking around here wearing a kimono..."

"Hm, some people might feel o-offended by that", Sakura agreed. "But I can show you how to put it on. Watch."

Sakura carefully removed the kimono from the box and opened it to reveal another layer within.

"This is a two-layered kimono. First, you put on the lower layer. It has two sets of ties, see?"

"All right, that doesn't sound too difficult."

Elise quickly removed the outer layers of her clothing – she didn't really feel comfortable undressing in front of Sakura – and put on the inner layer.

"Next, the outer layer."

"Wait, you said this was a two-layered kimono", Elise said as she put on the next layer. "Do you mean to say there are kimonos with more layers than that?"

"Oh, yes. The most elaborate one I ever saw had t-twelve layers. Those are d-dreadful to wear in summer."

"Twelve layers! Good grief."

The corners of Sakura's mouth turned upwards as she bent down to pick up a broad sash, like the one she was wearing.

"This is called 'obi', and it is used to tie the kimono. There are many different kinds of knots, I'll teach you an easier one for now."

Sakura undid her own obi and showed Elise how to wrap it around herself.

"It's easiest to tie the obi in front and then just spin it to the back. N-never wear the knot in front."

"Why not?"

Sakura blushed.

"Th-that's what p-prostitutes do", she replied, avoiding looking at Elise.

"Oh. I see."

"Anyway, the k-kimono looks very nice on you", Sakura said in an attempt to change the topic. "If we styled your hair accordingly and added a few accessories, you'd almost look like a Hoshidan princess."

Elise chuckled.

"Do Hoshidans ever wear black?"

"That's up to personal taste. I d-don't like it myself, but I like many other colours."

"I thought you guys always wore white", Elise admitted.

"Well, it is the colour of our flag, so our uniforms are white, and members of the royal family would also wear a lot of white during wartime to raise morale."

"And yet, you also wear if for funerals?"

"Un. That tradition is very old, maybe older than our kingdom. It's a coincidence that it's also the colour of our flag."

"I see. Well, it's very similar in Nohr – black is for mourning, but it's also a colour of power, and the colour of our flag – we did the same thing you did, but – black is such a dull colour. This kimono, though, it's very nice. Heh, maybe I should wear it, once I get back home, just to mess with everyone", Elise said with a grin.

Sakura chuckled.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask – why did you dye part of your hair lilac?"

"Because I wanted to be more like Camilla."

"T-truly?"

Sakura seemed very surprised to hear that.

"Uh, yes – is that so strange? Did you never want to be like your older siblings?"

"I always admired Hinoka-onee very much", Sakura replied. "Both she and Ryoma-onii were always so strong and confident, yet kind at the same time. I always felt so useless next to them..."

"I know that feeling – I mean, when they discovered that I could heal, they were all pretty excited, since we don't have many healers, and most get conscripted into the army as a result. But all my siblings could use magic at a young age, and mastered a weapon on top of that! Granted, Leo doesn't use his sword much in combat, since Brynhildr is very powerful, but it took me years until I could as much as produce a small flame."

"Magic seems to run strong in your family", Sakura observed. "In mine, it's just healing magic. Hinoka-onee and I can both use it, and mother – that is, Mikoto – was a great healer, too. I've also heard that my birth mother was a healer. So we might have gotten that from her. A-anyway, I always greatly admired Mikoto, and wanted to be like her. She was always so graceful, so kind..."

"Huh. I still have kind of a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that you aren't related to Queen Mikoto."

"It never mattered to any of us. She _was_ my mother in a legal sense."

"True."

"Oh, this reminds me – didn't you want to show me something?"

"Yes, my violin! I almost forgot! Hold on, I'll just change back into my dress – I don't think I'll be able to play very well with all this stiff silk on me."

"A d-dress? Is this what your garment is called?"

"Yup. It's pretty standard wear in Nohr, at least for the nobility. Commoners wear different things."

"Wait, let me help you."

Sakura deftly undid the knot and helped Elise out of the kimono before folding it and placing it back in the box while Elise got dressed again.

"Thanks. Anyway, here's my violin."

Elise produced her instrument and held it up for Sakura to see.

"It's so small!"

"Yes, but don't let that fool you. Size isn't everything."

Elise placed the bow on the strings and, after tuning them, played a few scales as a warm-up.

"It sounds very d-different from my koto", Sakura observed.

"That's right, but I can pluck the strings, too. Like this."

Changing her hold on the bow, Elise started playing the song Azura had always sung – Elise had asked her to teach it to her, so she could accompany her.

Sakura tilted her head to the side as she listened attentively.

"This sounds very different."

"Hm. Some songs are written to be played solely in this way."

"I wonder, could you play my koto with your bow?"

"I could, but – you see, every string is tuned to produce a certain note, so basically, the violin has only four different notes. If I want to change the tune, I press down on this board here, see, and shorten the string, so it'll produce a different note. Your koto doesn't have that."

"True, but – the koto has a lot more strings, and I simply move the bridges to tune it the right way before playing."

"But that makes it less flexible than my violin."

"Hm – but I've never found a song I couldn't play that way."

"I suppose both methods have their good and bad aspects", Elise said thoughtfully. "Say, what would you say to us playing together?"

"I-is that even possible? Our instruments are so different..."

"But we both know how to play 'You are the Ocean's Grey Waves' – ah, that's what I named Azura's song, since she never told me what it's called."

"I like the name."

"Anyway, I think we should be able to find some songs we could play together, and I think that the differences between our instruments might give the song a certain allure, don't you think? Besides, I'm certain it will do everyone some good to hear music – it's a language everyone speaks, after all."

"True. I've never seen anyone who wasn't moved by m-music. All r-right, let's try it."

"Fantastic! But! Let's keep it secret, so we can surprise everyone."

"How do we do that?"

"Well, I'll try to 'smuggle' my violin into your rooms – could I leave it with you? If we practised here, the others would notice."

"Sure, it's not very big, after all – 'smuggling' my koto into your rooms would be a l-lot harder."

"All right! Let's do this – it'll be so great, everyone is gonna love it!"

"B-but – are you sure about performing in front of so m-many people? I'm not sure I'm good enough..."

"Well, I haven't heard any other koto players before, so I can't compare your level of skill to anyone else's – but if we practise hard enough, we will do great. Besides, Camilla loves everything I do anyway, and the others will appreciate the effort, at least. It'll be perfectly fine – and I'll work with you on stage fright, if you like. I'm used to performing in front of others, you know."

Sakura smiled at that, a shy smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Princess Elise", she said with sincerity.

Elise stared at her for a heartbeat, before smiling in return.

"Gosh, you sure got a cute smile – you should smile more often."

Sakura blushed.

"Gah, sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable – but seriously, I mean it. It would help you win people over, too. They'd do anything for a smile from you, believe me."

"Y-you think so? Maybe I'll give it a try."

"Splendid. Now, how to go about our secret mission..."

* * *

 **A/N:**

This scene is based on their support conversations in Revelations, I thought music would be a good thing for them to bond over. And, of course, I have a bigger plan in mind.

*cackles manically*

 **Glossary:**

koto – the national instrument of Japan, a member of the zither family. A traditional koto has 13 strings and a length of 180 cm (71 in).


	22. In Which There Is Sibling-Talk

"Xander! Xander! Hey, wait up!"

The crown prince turned around upon hearing his youngest sister's call, and true enough, Elise was running towards him, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"You will never guess what I just did!", she exclaimed once she had reached his side.

"Do tell."

"I made Princess Sakura smile! She has the cutest smile ever."

"Did you, now? And how did you manage to achieve such a feat?", Xander replied, smiling.

"We were talking about music – she plays this thing called a koto, and so we wound up comparing our instruments and talking about music a great deal. She seemed fairly relaxed, too – I don't think she is frightened of me any more."

"Good. I also made some unexpected progress – she sought me out earlier, apparently, she wanted to practise talking to strangers, and for that purpose, she picked the scariest person around."

"Oh dear. Did she actually tell you that?"

"She did. I tried to get rid of her at first, since I'm not really good at small talk - "

"A gross understatement", Elise muttered.

" - but she was very persistent, and then, she just blurted out her reason. She was mortified, naturally, but I told her I wouldn't mind if she practised with me. And she did manage to make me laugh, which completely caught her off guard."

"I can imagine – wow, I'm actually impressed – I don't think I've ever seen you laugh around someone who wasn't family or a retainer."

"Hm. I can't remember having smiled around strangers before, either. But I am glad you are making progress with her, too – do you know if Camilla or Leo have managed to do so?"

"Well, Leo spends most of his time holed up in the library, surrounded by mountains of books and scrolls. I haven't seen Princess Sakura there, though."

"She might be too busy at the moment to go and visit the library", Xander guessed. "She seems to be taking her duties as regent very seriously."

"True. Also, Leo didn't mention speaking with her. Neither did Camilla – but I honestly can't imagine what they would even talk about."

"Hm. What of Kamui?"

"Is still trying to work up the courage to seek her out. I think she'd rather face the imposter again thank talk to Princess Sakura, though."

"That might actually be true. This war really got her into an awful position..."

"Yeah... But I can't imagine she'd appreciate it if we tried to intervene on her behalf."

"No. We'd better stay out of this – we'd only make matters worse, I fear. And the last thing we need is Princess Sakura starting to distrust us again."

"Would you say she actually trusts us?"

"At the very least, she is headed that way. She actually told me that she'd misjudged me – and that I was a far better person than she originally thought. I was, admittedly, rather surprised to hear that from her, of all people, but she noted that I'd always treated her decently."

"Well, of course. That's the kind of person you are."

"But Princess Sakura didn't know that. She probably just saw us as monsters."

"Oh. That might be true – it bothered me so much, how nervous she's been around me at first..."

"Same here. Instilling fear in someone like her isn't very rewarding."

"Wait, you actually enjoy frightening people?"

"On occasion."

"Hm. I guess some people deserve it. Though I would prefer it if it didn't have to be this way."

"Well, we now have the chance to make Nohr a better place. I don't intend to follow in father's/the imposter's footsteps."

"I think that's good. Ever since I can remember, there's always been tension with Hoshido. I could really do without that."

"Indeed."


	23. In Which There Is a Surprise Encounter

Sakura was feeling elated.

She had been very apprehensive about approaching Xander at all – even though she no longer feared him as much as she had originally, he was still someone who commanded a lot of respect simply by being in the same room, and he had always seemed so intimidating. Only because Sakura had caught glimpses of something else, something hidden beneath that perpetual scowl, had she been able to work up the courage to find him and make her request.

Though she had managed to make a fool of herself in the process. Why on earth did she have to tell him that she thought he was the scariest person around?! People didn't always appreciate blunt honesty, and she had been lucky he hadn't been offended.

She had been very surprised to learn that he had suffered from insecurities as a child, too – something she would have never, ever guessed. Sure, there was a notable difference between how he and Elise acted, but Sakura had simply assumed that Elise talked overly much, partly because members of her own family had tended to be more tight-lipped themselves, and by far not as talkative as the youngest Nohrian princess.

Not only had Xander shared something rather personal with her simply to make her feel better, but he had actually laughed. Sakura would have never thought she'd see the day – his face had transformed completely, it had almost been like seeing a different person.

That encounter had already been great in itself, but her conversation with Elise a bit later had raised her spirits even more. She had been curious to learn more about Nohrian instruments, and had been a bit disappointed that Elise hadn't played any Nohrian songs. She had heard that Nohrian music was very different from Hoshidan music, which was part of the reason she hadn't been sure if she and Elise would be able to play anything together. But Elise was determined to try – and succeed, and Sakura saw no reason to refuse her cooperation in this.

And besides, working on this "stage fright" – a term Sakura had never heard before yet had perfectly understood – also sounded like a good thing. Sakura was actually looking forward to their first "secret meeting".

All things considered, today had been a pretty great day, and Sakura was in high spirits when she rounded a corner and walked straight into someone.

"Whoa!"

Hands grabbed her upper arms to keep the both of them from falling over, and Sakura looked up, startled, to find herself face to face with Kamui.

Kamui seemed no less surprised than her, but recovered quickly. She let go of Sakura and took half a step back.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?"

"Ah – y-yes, just a little s-startled."

"Ah, good, I was worried – because of my armour and stuff..."

Kamui trailed off, apparently unsure of how to continue.

Sakura used this moment of silence to calm her racing heart, and take in the situation – Kamui wasn't alone, a knight with pale blue hair was with her – Sakura couldn't remember having seen him before, but maybe he was a guard or a retainer.

This was the first time Sakura had encountered her traitorous sister all by herself – until now, some or all of her Nohrian siblings had always been present, allowing Sakura to focus on them rather than deal with what she felt for Kamui.

Kamui, who was apparently not her usual calm self, ran a hand through her white locks, her gaze darting around before returning to Sakura.

"Look, Sakura, I - "

"Do not address m-me with such f-familiarity!"

The shock had worn off and was now replaced by red-hot, searing fury. Sakura didn't think she'd ever been as enraged as she was in this very moment.

"You h-have no right. Not after what you did. I w-would rather not speak with a traitor, but if you _have_ to address me, 'hime-sama' will do."

Kamui stared at her rather dumbly, apparently at a loss for words. Sakura was shaking with fury – this woman was responsible for the deaths of her beloved brothers and for driving Hinoka out of her home – forcing her to live in the wild, like some vagabond. Sakura fought to restrain herself, but she was so close to losing it completely.

The knight had shifted into a fighting stance, which had, in turn, caused Yue to appear by Sakura's side.

Part of Sakura's mind registered that the situation was about to escalate, but she was too furious to care. If they attacked, she'd fight them with her bare hands, if need be. She didn't care they were bigger and stronger than her. Rational thought had abandoned her a while ago.

She started when Yue tossed a small package in between Kamui and the knight, and the next moment, the corridor was filled with smoke. Sakura managed to cover her face with her sleeve in time, but Kamui and her knight were soon wheezing and coughing.

"Come with me!"

Yue grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her back the way they had come, around the corner and down the hallway. Her mind a mess, Sakura dumbly followed until they came by an empty room. Yue dragged her inside and shut the door, pressing her ear against the wood to check if they were being pursued.

Sakura coughed delicately – she'd inhaled some of the smoke – and shook out her sleeve.

Yue let out a breath of relief before turning around to face Sakura.

"Sakura-hime, I apologise for taking such liberties with your person", she said, dropping to one knee like she had done this morning. "I thought it better to get us out of there before things got out of hand."

"N-no, it's all right. I – was n-not myself."

"I could tell. It was the reason I decided to interfere.  
"The corridor outside is empty, but we could also return to your rooms via the gardens, if you'd prefer that, Sakura-hime."

"I would. Thank you for your p-presence of mind, Yue-san. I am glad I can rely on you."

"Of course."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Well, that escalated quickly.

Sakura's reaction to Kamui is very similar to her reaction to Kaze, though a bit more extreme, as Kamui's decision was the catalyst for all the bad things that happened to Sakura and her family. While Sakura has had ample time to work through her feelings towards Elise and Xander, she hasn't yet done so with her feelings towards Kamui, which is also a lot more difficult for her. Since there was no direct confrontation between these two so far, Sakura has been able to just push it away from her and procrastinate cheerfully. However, not dealing with your emotions properly and bottling everything up inside can lead to a terrible eruption.

The thing with the smoke bomb was a spontaneous idea – I had no plan on how to get everyone out of this situation again after I'd gotten them all in.


	24. In Which There Is Trouble

"What should w-we do?", Sakura asked, wringing her hands and trying very hard to keep the desperation out of her voice.

Her councillors, a small group of men and women who had been summoned at the earliest convenience, exchanged worried glances.

"We'll have to do _something_ ", one of them finally said. "Or the Nohrians will question our efficiency."

"I believe everyone knew that already", another councillor replied dryly. "We must act. But how? This is a delicate situation – if we mess this up, it might end badly for us. We are still, technically, under occupation, and they could just decide that keeping us around wouldn't be worth the trouble."

Sakura bit her lip.

"I do not believe Prince Xander would go that far, but – we are talking about _his sister_."

The councillors exchanged more glances.

"Sakura-hime, what do _you_ want to do?"

"I honestly don't know. N-nothing like this ever happened in recent history – so I don't e-even know what kind of options I have..."

"In that case, we'll have to wait until - "

The door was opened and the last member of Sakura's council came hurrying inside, carrying a huge tome.

"I found it", she huffed, placing the book on Sakura's desk before bowing hurriedly.

"Is this the most recent v-version of the law?"

"As far as I can tell, yes. I could not find a more recent one."

"Well, what does it say?", one of the courtiers in the back asked.

"Such an offence is punishable by death", another replied. "The ruler – in our case, regent – could show mercy and lessen the sentence, though."

"I would strongly advise against that. We need to show the Nohrians we take this seriously, and deter any would-be imitators."

Sakura re-read the passage a couple of times, but the meaning stayed the same.

"I wish we could avoid this", she said quietly. "I r-really do not want to sentence someone to die."

"We understand that", another woman said.

"This is all my fault! If only I hadn't lost my temper like that - "

"Forgive me for interrupting you, Sakura-hime, but something like this was bound to happen. Frankly, I am amazed you were able to treat these barbarians with courtesy for so long."

"You are under a lot of stress and pressure at the moment. You had to snap eventually."

"Nobody would ever blame you for this mess, Sakura-hime."

"Thank you", Sakura replied with a tired smile. "I'd like to announce my sentence in the throne room – begin preparations, and have as many people as possible in attendance."

"It will be done as you command, Sakura-hime."

Sakura nodded once before rising to her feet – there was something she had yet to do, yet this prospect did nothing for her already frayed nerves.

The guest wing was under lock-down, but the soldiers on duty let her pass without batting an eyelid, which calmed her somewhat. Once inside, Sakura was quite at a loss – she had no idea who occupied which room, the last time she had visited, she had relied on Elise to lead the way and not paid attention as a result.

Sakura was mentally debating working up the courage to ask the guards for directions when Xander emerged from one of the rooms, and spotted her standing there all forlorn.

"Princess Sakura!"

He quickly came striding over to her side, his dark eyes searching her face.

"You look dreadful, if I may be so blunt."

"It's b-been a dreadful night", Sakura replied. "How are things?"

"We are still on high alert, but, well, at least we now know that our wards work."

"Heh. How – how is she?"

"Still a bit shaken, though she tries hard to hide it. What will you do now?"

"Well, I j-just met with my councillors – most insist on drastic measures. I will announce the sentence in the throne room later – he's currently being held in the dungeons under close guard."

"What do Hoshidans consider 'drastic measures'?"

"E-execution."

"I see."

"I've never s-seen one", Sakura admitted. "I know that sometimes, people were executed in the rural areas, where l-life is harsher and disasters hit harder, but – the thought of having to sentence someone to d-death myself is frightening."

"I hardly envy you for your unfortunate situation", Xander replied gravely. "If there was a way for me to make this easier for you, I'd do it, but alas..."

"You are s-still being so nice!", Sakura exclaimed. "Even though one of m-my men just tried to kill K-kamui!"

"Princess Sakura, no-one blames you for what happened. He was not 'your' man. You came to see us in the middle of the night, even offered us additional guards! You have no reason to feel bad for what has happened."

"But! He decided to strike because of what happened yesterday – if only I hadn't lost m-my temper like that - "

"I heard about your altercation. Frankly, we were surprised nothing like this happened sooner. We do realise we're not exactly welcome here. It is why we put the wards in place, after all. It is unfortunate that you were the catalyst for this attack, but something would have triggered one eventually."

"But still, I - "

"Princess, please, calm yourself - "

"Sakura-hime?"

Both Xander and Sakura started, and Xander turned around. When he moved, Sakura spotted Kamui standing a few feet away.

"I thought I'd heard your voice – did you interrogate the assassin already?"

Sakura's mind was reeling, and it took her a bit to be able to formulate a response.

"I d-did – he's not an assassin, well, not a trained one, at l-least. He's a noble s-sent here by his parents to study government, he w-wasn't part of my council, though. Apparently, he l-learned of our – confrontation and s-sought to avenge me."

"I see", Kamui replied grimly. "What a mess."

Sakura nodded in agreement, not sure if she could trust her voice – they hadn't seen each other last night, as Sakura hadn't wanted to pry – she'd just come to get all the information first-hand and, if need be, make it clear that she hadn't been the one to orchestrate the assassination attempt, so there was still a lot of unresolved tension between them.

"I d-don't quite understand what went wrong", she finally said in a small voice. "Y-yesterday was going so great, and then I - "

She broke off, her lips quivering and her breathing beginning to speed up. Sakura turned halfway away from Xander and Kamui, not wanting them to see her distress, but both had already picked up on it.

"She's going to have a melt-down. Go fetch Elise!", Xander ordered, a note of urgency in his voice.

Kamui nodded and took off.

Sakura desperately tried to regain composure, but it was getting harder by the second. Xander approached her slowly, as if afraid he'd frighten her, and took her by the elbow.

"Come, in here."

She was too distressed to offer any resistance, and allowed Xander to lead her into a nearby suite. Tears were brimming in her eyes now, and her breathing had become erratic. Xander made her sit down on a cushion and then watched her, apprehensive and apparently unsure what to do.

"Out of my way! Healer coming through! Out of my way!"

Elise barged in, Kamui close on her heels. Sakura saw the concerned look on her face, and burst into tears.

"Oh no!"

In a flash, Elise was next to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Not caring about decorum for once, Sakura buried her face in the fabric of Elise's dress, and cried harder. Sobs shook her whole body – it was ugly, it was loud, it was so undignified...

"That's it, just let it all out... There, there..."

Elise started rubbing circles into Sakura's back with one hand, while her other arm was wrapped around Sakura's waist.

"I-it's all too much!", Sakura cried in between sobs and hiccups. "Yesterday started out s-so great, and then – I g-got so angry, I could hardly recognise m-myself, and then the attack happened, and I was so w-worried – and I hated myself for feeling worried, but I'm a h-healer and shouldn't feel that way – I d-don't even know what to feel any more!"

Elise didn't reply to Sakura's rant, but never stopped her soothing motions, either.

Once it was finally over, Sakura just stayed where she was, too exhausted to move. Thankfully, Elise wasn't in a hurry to get rid of her, but just held her. It kinda reminded Sakura of her mother, which was strange, considering Elise was about her own age.

Kamui moved into her line of vision, a cup in her hand.

"I got you some tea", she said, giving Sakura a tentative smile.

"Thanks", Sakura croaked, carefully accepting the cup.

The tea helped, and Sakura soon felt a little better.

"Look, I know now is not a good time, but – I would like to talk to you – and Hinoka – about my reasons for choosing Nohr, and for doing what I did after that. Once I'm done, and you still can't find it in your hearts to forgive me – that would be fine. You can condemn me, hate me all you like, just – please, hear me out first. That's all I ask."

Sakura took another sip to buy herself some time – Kamui's request wasn't unreasonable, anyone standing accused of a crime got a chance to defend himself, after all.

"Very w-well. Once Hinoka-onee returns, we will talk. Just – give me s-some space until then, p-please."

"Understood."

Sakura handed the cup back before angling her head so she could catch Elise's eye.

"Sorry", she said tiredly. "Didn't m-mean to cry all over you."

"Now don't you dare feel sorry! You're a healer, too – you know how it is. You're hurting, and that's okay. Well, not the 'hurting' part, but acting irrationally because of it. You're human, you know. You can't be a perfect lady at all times."

"Th-thank you."

"It's all right. Part of the job, you know. Now, let's get you cleaned up, and then we'll go for a nice walk in the gardens, and you tell me all about those stone lanterns out there. I am dying to find out more about them."

Sakura actually chuckled at the serious way in which Elise said that, but she was grateful. Elise, she decided, was a wonderful person.

"Will you be all right?", Xander asked.

"I can handle it", Elise, at whom the question was directed, replied. "I've dealt with trauma patients before."

"I see. But stay alert, just in case."

"I will. Don't worry."

* * *

 **A/N:**

I actually enjoy writing Xander a lot.

In this chapter, Sakura has her first real breakdown since the war ended, and starts sorting through her confusing emotions somewhat. She doesn't really have anyone to share these kind of things with, no siblings, no Hana, and while she trusts Ai, they don't really have this kind of relationship she shares with her retainers.

I had planned on someone attacking Kamui for her role in the war at some point, and this seemed like a good trigger.


	25. In Which Sakura Passes Judgement

The throne room was brimming with people – Sakura estimated that there were more than back when Xander had made her regent. Then again, word of the failed assassination attempt had spread like wildfire throughout the castle, along with rumours, assumptions and half-truths, and people were eager to find out what truly had happened – and how things would proceed from here on out.

Once again, Sakura was decked out in full regalia, though she had chosen more subdued colours this time – she wasn't here today to be a shining ray of light, after all.

Sitting on the throne, Sakura observed the crowd and tried to muster some kind of bravado for the upcoming procedure. She dearly wished Xander could be by her side – she'd feel braver then – but she had to do this by herself.

Xander, his siblings and their retainers – well, the ones not out looking for Hinoka – were standing to the side near one of the walls. Sakura hadn't told them what her sentence would be – they hadn't asked, either – so, naturally, they were keen on finding out how she would judge.

Sakura had appointed one of her councillors, a wizened old man, to act as crown prosecutor – he would publicly lay the charges against the noble who had so foolishly decided that killing Kamui would be a smart thing to do.

The accused himself was standing on the opposite side of the throne room as the Noh-rians, manacled and surrounded by heavily armed warriors. Sakura wasn't going to take any chances here.

Once she deemed everything was ready, Sakura nodded in the direction of her councillor, who inclined his head and stepped forward. The crowd quieted down instantly, as everyone was quite eager to find out what had actually happened.

The old man cleared his throat and consulted his notes before speaking.

"We are gathered here today to judge Mamoru of the Shirakawa clan. Shirakawa Mamoru stands accused of having attempted to assassinate Princess Kamui the previous night. It has been proven without a doubt that the accused tried to infiltrate Princess Kamui's room in the guest wing via the garden, armed with a short sword taken from the armoury, based on the account of Sakura-hime."

This caused some whispering among the gathered people – it was one thing to accuse a countryman of having attempted to murder a foreign royal, and another altogether to name your own regent as witness.

Taking her cue, Sakura straightened her spine a bit more and focused on the thought that none of the people before her were nearly as intimidating as Xander was. She could tell that he was watching her, and she was quite eager to show him that she had improved already – despite her nervous stuttering this morning.

"I was woken sometime during the night by one of the Nohrian retainers who told me that I was needed in the guest wing, and that I should bring guards. Upon my arrival, I found the guest wing in a state of chaos – s-servants and soldiers were milling about, it was very hectic. I was shown to Princess Kamui's room, where I found the would-be assassin."

A noble raised his hand.

"Yes?", Sakura said, trying to sound encouraging.

"The assassin was inside Princess Kamui's rooms upon your arrival? Could they have arranged for this?"

Sakura blinked.

"I suppose they could have, but – he wasn't quite _in_ the room, you see. The Nohrian mages put up wards during the night to keep out intruders and to alert them to any attempt to breach them – which is, I was told, how Kamui was alerted to the fact that someone was coming for her. The ward isn't harmful to the intruder – it is like walking through mud, just that the mud is not below your feet, but a wall you walk into. It stops you from moving, and the accused was frozen in mid-stride as he tried to cross the threshold."

This actually caused some people to laugh or gasp at the absurdity of the thought.

"So I assume you checked the effects of the wards yourself, Sakura-hime."

"I d-did. It was a very peculiar sensation."

The noble looked thoughtful.

"However, I have absolutely no doubt that the accused was planning to murder Princess Kamui – as he admitted to that in rather animated language when I questioned him later."

This earned her more murmuring from the crowd, and Sakura signalled for the guards to bring Mamoru to the front.

"Shirakawa Mamoru, you stand accused of having attempted the murder of a person of royal blood – the penalty for that is death. What have you to say in your defence?"

"I stand by what I said yesterday. I did it for you, Sakura-hime! For you, for Ryoma-sama, Takumi-sama, Mikoto-sama and all the others who were killed by those monsters! And it's all _her_ fault – she brought disaster upon us! We had to suffer so much injustice because of some lingering attachment she felt for her kidnapper's spawn! It is simply outrageous. I had to do something."

Sakura had to admit that she was impressed by his bravery – he stood tall, not a hint of fear in his demeanour. However, Sakura was not about to let fiery words sway her.

"You do realise", she said softly, "that, had you succeeded, we might all be dead by now? Do you think that the Nohrians would have just ignored this, or did you delude yourself into thinking that you would be able to take them all out by yourself? They would have s-slaughtered us in our beds! Violence only begets violence. Kamui's death would change nothing – the dead would still be dead, but we might have another war on our hands. Your attempt to avenge me and my family almost got us all killed."

Even though Sakura was, by now, convinced that both Elise and Xander were good people at heart, she couldn't say the same for Camilla or Leo, and she didn't know any of them well enough either to be able to predict how they would react to the death of a sister. The scenario she had just painted was a likely one, for all she knew.

Sakura was pleased to see the effect her words had, and not just on Mamoru – he apparently hadn't planned ahead as his actions had been triggered by rage. His earlier words had caused the crowd to show sympathy for his position, but now, as it dawned on them just how disastrous things could have turned, they seemed less inclined to approve of his deeds.

Sakura waited to see if Mamoru had anything else to say, but he remained silent, though no less stubborn.

Sakura took a deep breath.

 _This is it._

She caught Xander's eye, but quickly let her gaze flit elsewhere, lest someone suspect that the Nohrians were influencing her decision.

"I have debated with my councillors how to respond to this. I could show mercy, and lessen the sentence, but I cannot tolerate violence, no m-matter the reason. Shirakawa Mamoru, I sentence you to die."

For a heartbeat, the throne room was eerily quiet, and then Mamoru let out a terrible scream.

"Traitor! Collaborator! You sold our country to those Nohrian dogs!"

"Silence, scum! Do not insult the regent with such vile accusations!", one of his guards yelled.

Mamoru, who had tried to break free from the soldiers' hold, was quickly subdued, yet Sakura's heart still raced, and she fervently hoped her face didn't betray how terrified she'd just felt.

Mamoru was still screaming and yelling as he was dragged from the room, and the crowd was in shock. As soon as realisation hit them, they started exclaiming just how awful and reprehensible Mamoru's actions had been, not to mention the stain on his family's honour. Some even attempted to approach Sakura – probably out of concern – but the guards stationed around the throne moved quickly into position to stop their advance.

Sakura took another deep breath and rose to her feet, immediately catching the attention of most people.

"The execution will be held this afternoon", she announced, a strange calmness overcoming her. "Our laws will be upheld."

To Hoshidans, lawful, polite and proper behaviour was something very important, something that was ingrained into their very being from a very young age on. Criminal behaviour didn't come easily to most of them – partly because their country was so wealthy and they didn't really need to resort to criminal measures to make ends meet.

The people bowed their heads, and soon afterwards, they started filing out of the throne room, talking amongst themselves. Sakura let out a small breath of relief, and noticed that Xander was approaching, siblings and retainers in tow.

"Prince Xander."

"Regent."

He inclined his head in greeting.

"I hope the sentence was to your satisfaction", Sakura said formally, aware that there were still people in the room, watching.

"Indeed it was. We would like to attend the execution, if that is all right with you."

"Certainly."

"Good."

Even though Xander's face was blank and betrayed no emotion, she could see something in his eyes. He was being less guarded around her than before, and it made her glad. Despite the terrible events of today, Sakura had found something small to give her joy.

* * *

 **Glossary:**

Kamui: one who chases after/possesses god's power; holy spirit; power/envoy of god

Mamoru: protector


	26. In Which the Sentence Is Carried Out

**A/N:**

Seeing as how I've started playing Echoes and how super-distracting that is, it might cause some irregularities with my posting new chapters. Additionally, I'm gonna start my new job on Monday, so that might interfere, too. I won't stop, though. All the really good stuff is yet to come, after all.

* * *

Kamui had never attended an actual execution before.

She had heard that execution had been carried out quite frequently under Garon's rule, but since she had spent her entire childhood in Nohr's secluded Northern Fortress, she hadn't been exposed to this kind of thing.

Kamui still shuddered inwardly when she recalled the events from the previous night – she had been woken by the ward put on the door and walls facing the garden to see an armed man suspended in mid-step. It had taken her a moment to understand what it was that she was seeing, and so she had frantically scrambled for her sword or tome – whichever she would come across first – before realising that he couldn't move.

By then, reinforcements had already arrived – Leo and Camilla had barged in, tomes at the ready, and quite eager to kill the intruder right there.

However, Kamui had insisted they'd question him instead and hand him over to Sakura, as this was, after all, her country. Upon his arrival, Xander had approved of that, and sent Peri to fetch Sakura.

Camilla had ushered Kamui out and they had waited together with Elise while Sakura had spoken with Xander and had the intruder arrested.

She had only seen Sakura this morning, and it had been very awkward. However, Kamui had totally not been prepared for Sakura's breakdown, and had had no idea how to act. Thankfully, Xander had mastered the situation.

It had been very sweet to see Sakura and Elise interact – Kamui knew they saw each other frequently – or as frequently as Sakura's schedule would allow – and seemed to like each other. It was Kamui's greatest wish that one day, all her remaining siblings would get along.

Though she wasn't quite sure how she was going to get Camilla and Hinoka to make peace – though she suspected that Hinoka would be the one to cause problems rather than Camilla.

Kamui and her siblings had gathered form the people at court that executions weren't common here in the capital – in fact, no-one could remember ever having witnessed one. This also meant that Sakura didn't have an executioner, and for lack of alternatives, she had appointed Yue – her temporary guard, whom Kamui had first met yesterday.

While getting blinded by the ninja's smoke bomb hadn't been pleasant, Kamui had admitted in hindsight that it had been a clever move on her part – removing Sakura had kept the situation from escalating.

There were notably less people in the courtyard than there had been in the throne room earlier, apparently, not all Hoshidans were keen on witnessing an execution for the first time in their lives.

Yue was standing behind Sakura, next to Sakura's servant, her face blank. Kamui had no idea how old she was – just because she'd only just finished training didn't mean she had to be very young, after all, and Kamui found it impossible to guess her age.

"Is she going to be all right?", Kamui asked Kaze in a murmur. "This can't be easy for her."

"Yue-san is a ninja", her retainer replied. "We are trained to kill silently and efficiently, if need be. Granted, executions aren't usually part of the deal, but the target ends up dead either way. If she received proper training, she should be able to handle it. I'm more worried about Sakura-hime, to be quite honest."

"Yeah."

Kamui could only begin to imagine how Sakura must feel – because everything Mamoru had said, his motives for attempting to kill her, had been justified. Nohr had started the conflict. Nohrian soldiers had committed atrocities. Sakura had lost almost her entire family because of her decision to side with Nohr. It would be logical for Sakura to sympathise with her subject, yet she had to have him executed... Kamui couldn't be sure if Sakura had truly judged as she had because she thought it was the right thing to do, or because she had feared repercussions, should she show mercy.

Sakura was still wearing the same kimono she had worn earlier. When Kamui had seen her face, she had been alarmed, however, Xander had informed her and the others in a hushed voice that she was wearing make-up. He had assumed that it was some sort of formal thing, as she had done the same thing when he had made her regent.

Mamoru was led into the yard, still heavily guarded. After his outburst earlier, no-one would let him anywhere near Sakura. There were even guards posted around the perimeter – a strange sight in Hoshido. During the last time she'd been here, Kamui had only ever seen guards stationed at the gates, and they had seemed to be there more for decorative purposes than anything else, really.

They had not taken any guards with them when they had went down to the plaza on that fateful day, either.

Mamoru was made to kneel and Yue moved forward, unsheathing her sword as she went. Mamoru looked around, the expression on his face haughty, and spotted her, standing next to her siblings. His expression instantly changed to one of such hatred that Kamui, for a moment, felt afraid. She squared her jaw and returned his glare with a level look of her own, willing him to understand that he couldn't faze her.

Yue placed her blade against the back of Mamoru's neck after he had been blindfolded with a piece of black cloth. Gripping the hilt tightly with both hands, she swung the sword upwards and brought it down with a lightning-fast strike.

As far as beheadings went, this one was perfect. Yue turned away and moved to the side to clean her blade while soldiers rushed to take care of the body.

"Curious", Leo murmured. "Father – or the imposter, rather – would always put the heads on display."

"I can't imagine someone like Princess Sakura doing that", Elise replied, wrinkling her nose.

Kamui said nothing, as she was busy trying to keep her last meal down.

She had, of course, seen people die before, but in the haze of battle, you didn't have the time to notice all the disgusting details. Even during the slaughter at Fort Jinya, there had been too much going on for Kamui to have time to focus on that.

She found that she didn't like executions.

"Let's head back inside", Xander suggested softly.

Kamui nodded mutely.

However, once inside, Kamui stopped dead at the sight of Sakura, hunched over and dry-heaving, her servant desperately trying to offer her some comfort.

With a soft yelp, Elise sprang forward, staff at the ready, to try and ease Sakura's symptoms. Taking a shuddering breath, the Hoshidan princess straightened. Tears streaming from her face had ruined her pretty make-up, and she looked awfully forlorn.

Xander slowly approached her, as if afraid he might startle her – given Sakura's disposition, his worries weren't completely unfounded.

"Are you all right?"

"I – yes. I just – a-all the b-blood – I couldn't - "

"Executions are something you need to get used to. I know of no-one who could watch one for the first time and be completely unaffected."

"It's not something I want to get used to", Sakura muttered. "Were executions so common in Nohr?"

"They were, at least during my father's reign. I don't think my grandfather was quite as severe. Though the number of executions rose during the last two decades or so, which I believe to be the work of the imposter. So you see, I have attended my fair share of executions."

Sakura shuddered.

"I r-really hope I won't have to do this again", she said with a sigh. "Though I suppose that would be unlikely."

"Because you don't expect another attack?"

"I hope that today will serve as a deterrent, both because p-people will know they will receive no mercy, and because of the dangers involved. I – didn't mean to imply that I believe that you would actually murder us in our beds", she said, grimacing. "But I've s-seen what rage can do to people, how they sometimes lose control. I just – don't want p-people to take risks like that."

"I understand", Xander replied. "And I cannot say how I would have reacted, had this attempt been successful. And, even if I had managed to keep myself, my siblings and our retainers in check, there's still a lot of soldiers to keep in check, too."

"I thought as much. I – I am just glad we managed to weather this s-storm."

"Me too. Thank you once again for your cooperation and help in this matter."

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me – I shall retire for today."

"Rest well."

Sakura and Ai took their leave, and the Nohrians made their way over to the guest wing.

"I think she likes you", Kamui said with a grin, elbowing Xander in the ribs. "She seemed very much at ease around you."

"Well, we've been spending quite a bit of time together recently", Xander replied, not rising to the bait. "And I've been on my best behaviour, too."

"Still, she seemed pretty relaxed", Kamui mused. "She was never like that around me when we first met."

"As I said, I am trying very hard to be approachable and not some kind of scary tyrant", her brother replied. "Maybe you weren't quite as determined back then."

"That might be true – everything was so strange, so new, it was a bit overwhelming. I mean, I suddenly met my mother and found out I had four more siblings – five, if we count Azura. And Hinoka was practically glued to my side, too..."

"Oh dear", Leo muttered.

"I wasn't aware that you were spending so much time with Princess Sakura", Camilla chimed in. "I have barely seen her outside mealtimes."

"Neither have I", Leo said.

"Well, we did have a few things to discuss on occasion, so I would seek her out, but lately, we've also run into each other by accident."

"I see. Interesting", Camilla replied.

"Well, even I ran into her by accident, and I don't normally frequent the same areas she does", Kamui mused. "What with Leo constantly holed up in the library and Camilla constantly on the training pitch, I'm not really surprised you've seen less of her."

"I guess Princess Sakura isn't a great reader", Leo observed.

"I'd rather guess she lacks the time at the moment", Xander replied. "You might see more of her in the library if she was less busy. Though I can't imagine her going down to the training pitch, unless it was to watch someone spar."

The others nodded in agreement.

Shortly after that, they reached the guest wing, and went their separate ways.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Some clarification on the last part of the chapter: while it is true that Sakura has begun to like Xander, she's not about to fall head over heels in love with him – she's only just realised that he's actually a good person, after all. Kamui doesn't really believe that, too, she's just trying (and failing) to tease Xander.

I decided to add the part where Sakura explains her thoughts during the court hearing on a whim – it might have been influenced by another conversation I had with Maxcy, but it wasn't planned. It seems like something she would do, though.

Xander doesn't keep all of his siblings up-to-date on all of his interactions with Sakura. Elise and Kamui know about some of them, either because they were there or because they're interested in this kind of thing. Camilla and Leo don't really care much.

Also, Kaze, who usually uses Nohrian titles over suffixes, reverted to using suffixes in this case because he had no idea of how to address Yue otherwise.


	27. In Which Preparations Are Being Made

"So this is everything I brought with me", Elise said, dropping down to lie on her stomach while spreading several sheets of music out on the tatami.

Sakura leaved through some of them, though the titles, naturally, told her nothing. Meanwhile, Elise had started to look through the sheets Sakura had brought, which were a lot more.

"I think you use a different kind of notation", she observed after a while. "We'll have to transpose either your or my music to make this work."

"I've never done a-anything like that", Sakura admitted.

"Worry not, and leave everything to me!", Elise replied, imitating the voice of her luckless retainer.

Sakura chuckled.

"It might help if you played me one of the simpler songs, so I could get a grasp of what these notes are supposed to sound like. I am absolutely clueless about Hoshidan music, I'm afraid."

"All right."

So they set to work, comparing and arranging until they had managed to find what Elise called "common ground". Then, the real work started. Both played their favourite songs and then they put their heads together and tried to figure out how to make them work for violin and koto.

Somehow, Sakura found that she was having fun. She'd never had anyone to play her instrument with, and this was a very welcome change.

Sakura and Elise had decided to meet up before lunch, as most of the surrounding rooms would be empty at that time, and they could practise in peace.

After a while, Elise had enough of working on the sheets and instead offered to teach Sakura how to combat this "stage fright". Sakura readily agreed, glad to have a teacher for such things.

"You seem to have improved a lot recently, though. You barely stutter any more when talking to me or Xander."

"Un. I believe talking to your brother has h-helped me a great deal. He's not nearly as scary as I thought he was."

Elise chuckled.

"Yeah, he's good at playing that part. He's a really nice person, though, and clearly my favourite brother. Don't tell Leo, though."

"Prince Leo – seems a bit distant", Sakura replied. "Though Prince Xander claims it's just an act."

"It is. Leo can actually be nice if he wants to – he just doesn't want to very often."

"I see."

"But I'm really glad you're no longer frightened of me. That was such a weird feeling..."

"Well, I didn't really have any idea what to expect at first", Sakura replied. "I was prepared for execution at worst, and being used as a hostage at best. Prince Xander totally caught me off guard when he said he'd made me regent. I would have rather expected him to use me to keep Hinoka-onee in line."

"I can see where you're coming from – the imposter might have just done that – well, the part with the execution, anyway, since he didn't plan on keeping your sister alive at all. But it's just like Xander said – trying to rule Hoshido ourselves would be too much trouble. We really have other things to worry about."

"I-is the situation in Nohr truly that dire?"

"It is. I sometimes visit the underground – the commoners in Windmire live there rather than up in the streets, where it is cold. The streets are deserted, for most part, the actual city life takes place in the canalisation. I often used to sneak down there – that's where I met Effie."

"Effie?"

"My other retainer. She's heading one of the search teams."

"Oh, I see."

"In Windmire, lots of the goods go towards the nobles, and the townspeople often don't have enough food as a result. This, of course, leads to crime – theft, murder – you name it, they do it. Not all of them, of course. But people can only take so much before they grow desperate."

"Oh dear... I had no idea. I don't know if Ryoma-onii or mother knew of these things – Azura never mentioned anything like that..."

"Azure probably didn't know. Most nobles don't care about commoners, and even the ones that did care might not know simply because all these things happen out of sight. If you see a beggar starving in the streets, you might be moved to pity, give him food or clothes or money. If he's starving somewhere you never go – in a place you've probably never even heard of – well, there's nothing you can do, no matter how noble you might be."

"But you told your siblings?"

"I did. You see, I started meeting Effie in the canalisation on a regular base, I would also help out an old lady by selling flowers for her. It made me feel good, because I was actually doing something useful. One day, Effie and I were accosted by soldiers, and I was forced to reveal myself. Father was furious when he found out, and forbade me from going back there. So I didn't – for a while. I made Effie my retainer, too. I wasn't able to do much, change much, but I made some people happy, and I improved Effie's life."

"I think it was very kind of you to do all that, especially since you didn't have to. You could have simply decided not to care – but you chose to help. That's wonderful."

"Heh, you're gonna make me blush."

Sakura smiled gently.

"I think we might be more alike than I originally thought", she mused aloud.

"Really? You might be right, though. And it makes me happy. We can set a prime example that Nohrians and Hoshidans can get along!"

"Indeed."

* * *

 **Glossary:**

tatami – mats made from rice straw; square measure


	28. In Which Music Builds Bridges

**A/N:**

This chapter takes place an unspecified amount of days after the last one – I didn't want to use up too many days here, but wasn't quite sure how much time Elise and Sakura would need to prepare everything. Then again, I used to attend a music camp as a kid/teen every summer, and we managed to prepare songs most of us didn't know for a concert within a week. So I guess they should be able to pull this off within a couple of days.

* * *

To say that he was curious as Xander made his way to the appointed place was an understatement.

At dinner, Elise had invited them to attend some sort of surprise event, and had vanished before Camilla and Kamui could corner her to find out more. Xander had no idea what it was that Elise had planned – the only thing he could think of was that she might want to play some music for them, but there would be no need for such a formal setting.

The room the event would take place in was another large hall that was, apparently, used to house performances, as was evident from the stage at the far end. However, two things surprised Xander greatly – one, the strange instrument sitting on the stage, and two, the large number of Hoshidans – nobles and court officials mostly – lounging about on the floor, sipping some sort of drink from tiny cups.

A servant approached Xander and the others, bowed and led them to a spot reserved for them near the stage. Trays with the same strange drink were placed in front of them.

"What is this?", Xander asked the servant, eyeing the liquid curiously.

"It is called sake, Xander-sama. It is made from fermented rice."

"Interesting."

Xander took a whiff before tasting it, finding it to his liking.

The people around them were talking in hushed, but excited voices, apparently, they, too, had been surprised, and had no idea what was going to happen, either.

"Well, this is quite interesting", Leo observed. "I wonder what she has planned – she can't have set this up all by herself."

"No", Xander replied. "I bet Princess Sakura was involved. Wait – Elise mentioned that she plays an instrument – maybe they'll both be performing tonight."

"Oh, this is exciting", Kamui replied. "I'd really like to find out more about Hoshidan culture."

"Same here", Leo added.

Finally, Elise and Sakura appeared on stage, both dressed elegantly for the occasion. Elise was carrying her violin and music stand, Sakura was carrying sheets of music. Together, they sat up Elise's music stand and sheets before Sakura sat down on the floor next to the strange instrument and placed her sheets beside it. Elise bowed to the audience with a flourish.

"Welcome, dear guests, to the first Nohrian-Hoshidan concert in history! Princess Sakura and I worked very hard to set this whole thing up, as we felt that listening to music might do us all some good. We're going to perform a mix of Hoshidan and Nohrian songs tonight, and wish you all a very pleasant evening."

Elise began by playing a lively tune, a song popular for dancing in Nohr. She played the whole piece once, however, instead of giving them a reprise, Sakura joined in playing harmony.

After that, Sakura played a rather sad tune on her own instrument, and Elise joined in.

And so it continued. Xander listened attentively – it was interesting to hear songs he knew well in such an arrangement, especially since the sound of Sakura's instrument was so foreign to him. However, he thought that they had done a really good job on this.

Both princesses would sometimes entertain the audience with the stories behind the pieces – Xander knew the ones behind the Nohrian songs, obviously, but discovering the stories behind the Hoshidan songs was quite fascinating.

"The next song will be our last one for tonight", Sakura announced at length, hands folded in her lap. "It is a very s-special song, and we hope you will enjoy it."

Sakura placed her hands on the strings, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she began to play.

She played a repetitive combination of rising notes, like an intro to a song, or maybe an accompaniment. The second theory soon proved true when Elise began to play – a melody that was hauntingly familiar.

"That's – Azura's song", Kamui breathed.

Sakura continued to accompany the melody with her rising motif for a while before they switched roles, and Sakura took over playing the melody while Elise accompanied her by playing soft tremoli. Then suddenly, she switched back to playing the melody alongside Sakura, but one octave higher, and then, the whole song morphed into a fugue with the koto fleeing before the violin, chasing each other through the different passages of the song.

Sakura's face was alight, her eyes shining, and Elise moved as she played, her body swaying and bending in tune with her music. Both looked so much at home and in their element, it was a thing of beauty to behold.

Next to him, Kamui was snivelling quietly, Camilla seemed touched, as well.

In the end, Elise caught up to Sakura, and they ended their song together with a nice ritardando.

It was quiet for a moment before Kamui let out a whoop, and started clapping enthusiastically. The surrounding Hoshidans seemed a bit surprised, but went along, some of them smiling good-naturedly. Xander chuckled as he joined in.

On the stage, Sakura rose to her feet, and she and Elise bowed. Sakura was smiling – a brilliant, dazzling smile, and it made something within Xander twist in a strange way. He vowed to himself, that very moment, that he would do anything to protect that beautiful smile, and make sure that Sakura would have ample reasons to smile in the future.

Elise tackled Sakura with a hug, causing the other princess to freeze in surprise, before wrapping her arms around her.

Camilla chuckled.

"These two seem to get along well."

"Indeed", Xander replied. "That makes me glad."

They were soon joined by Elise, who dragged Sakura along with her, both still glowing.

"That was fantastic, darling", Camilla cooed. "Such a wonderful idea. Was it yours?"

"Yes. But I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without Princess Sakura."

"You did very well", Xander said to Sakura, who seemed to revert to her old shy self in the presence of his other siblings. "You barely stuttered at all. And you played very beautifully."

"Thank you", Sakura replied, casting her eyes down bashfully. "I never performed in front of strangers before."

"Is that so? That makes this even more remarkable. You seemed very much at ease."

"Princess Elise helped me with 'stage fright'. It worked."

"I see. The arrangement you two wrote for Azura's song was beautiful – clearly my favourite tonight."

"We wanted to make it special, since it means something to both of us. The other songs were for the audience, but that one – that one was for us."

"I am glad you two found something to connect over. Music can easily do that."

"True. And it gave me the chance to learn something about Nohrian music, too. I'd never seen a violin before!"

"What is your instrument called?"

"A koto."

"Ah, now I remember – Elise told me about it. She just failed to mention that you two were planning something like this", he replied, feigning to be hurt.

Sakura chuckled.

"We wanted it to be a s-surprise."

"And it was a well-executed one. We were completely in the dark. Will you two play for us more often?"

"If you'd like us to, yes. We weren't quite sure how our project would be received, but – it seems that everyone had a good time."

"You must do it again. Camilla and Kamui enjoyed it, too, and, if no-one else were to show, I'd force Leo to come along, too, so you would have at least a small audience."

"That would be lovely."

"Good", Xander replied, giving her one of his rare smiles.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I am not a composer, and coming up with a "written" arrangement was a bit of a challenge. Being a singer/flautist myself, I had some ideas about stuff I could utilise that might actually sound good. I wanted Azura's song to be a highlight, and tried very hard to make it one.

Also, Elise might be exaggerating about this being the first Hoshidan-Nohrian concert ever, but it sounded good.

 **Glossary:**

tremoli (sing. tremolo) – tremor (Italian)

fugue – a word of French origin, I guess, derived from the Italian word fugare (to flee); Fuge in German

ritardando – slowing down (Italian); words ending in -ando or -endo are basically the -ing-form of a verb


	29. In Which Sakura Stands Her Ground

Hearing someone speak with a raised voice just around the corner, Xander slowed down and approached silently – which was easily done, considering that the floor was soft, and he was wearing socks.

It was still a strange thing to him to not wear any shoes or boots inside, but it worked well enough.

" - shouldn't carter to the needs of those Nohrians! It is very unseemly for a princess of Hoshido."

A male speaker, Xander noted, but no-one he could recognise.

"I do not 'carter to their needs', as you put it", a woman's voice replied – Sakura's. "I merely offer solace to those who might need it. Everyone is welcome. Why don't you come tonight, too? It might do you some good."

"Offering solace to the people who conquered us! Absurd!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I might be doing this for my own sake as well?", Sakura asked, her tone suddenly less pleasant. "Have you ever been to a battle, or seen the aftermath of one? Watched people being b-butchered right in front of you? Trying to save every single life, even though you know you won't be able to, but you still have to try?"

"W-well, no, but - "

"Then don't you dare to assume that you know what it's like for me, how I feel. Music helps me just as well as anyone else. And whether the Nohrians are there or not doesn't affect anyone else. So this is a moot point."

"I see. Forgive me my outburst, Sakura-hime."

This seemed to be the end of the conversation, and for a moment, Xander feared the man might walk in his direction and spot him – however, luck was on his side.

After a while, Xander cautiously peeked around the corner (after having made sure that no-one was watching) and spotted Sakura standing there, her back to him, fists balled at her side. It was a very unusual sight, and Xander assumed that she was very upset.

He straightened himself and approached her.

"Princess Sakura?"

Even though he had tried very hard not to startle her, she spun around with a gasp.

"Prince Xander! I didn't realise you were there."

"Sorry for having eavesdropped", he replied with a grimace. "I was just walking down this corridor, and - "

Sakura shook her head.

"It's not your fault. Anyone could have heard. And it's not like we were discussing secrets of state or something."

"You are upset", Xander stated.

"Yes", Sakura admitted, looking unhappy about it. "Princes Elise and I tried so hard, and then he goes and accuses me of – of the things he did..."

"Don't take it to heart, especially if it's helping you cope. You made an excellent point, though. People who haven't been to war cannot truly understand what it is like."

"True..."

"Still, you might want to keep an eye on him – and people who think like him, too. They could cause trouble – especially if they begin to doubt your ability to be a good regent. You have to make it abundantly clear that you will stick by your decisions, and won't allow anyone to undermine you."

"I see. It's just, I'm still so new to all of this, and often-times, I don't even know what I should do..."

"Ask questions. As many as you possibly can. If someone demands an answer of you, and you aren't sure what to say, delay them. It is better to potentially upset someone by delaying your answer than giving the wrong answer. Depending on what the question was, that could have disastrous effects."

"Oh dear... Thank you so much for telling me all of this, and for having been so patient with me... I hope I wasn't too much of a burden..."

"You really need to give yourself some credit, princess", Xander replied with a smile. "Considering your situation, I think you are doing a marvellous job."

"Th-thank you."

"Not at all. Would you like to learn more about the ancient art of combating meddling and power-hungry nobles?"

Sakura chuckled.

"I would. I would like to be able to tell Hinoka-onee as much as possible once she returns – she's just as clueless about these things as I have been at first."

"Good. You should tell her everything – everything that has happened, everything you've heard or seen. She'll need to know these things, or she will be taken advantage of. You are very perceptive – I believe you will do a fine job."

Sakura blushed.

"A-anyway, you wanted to tell me how to deal with those pesky nobles."

Xander chuckled at her antics, but readily obliged her, telling her about the intrigues and plots of the Nohrian nobility, and what he and his siblings had usually done to combat them.

Sakura listened attentively, sometimes nodding or even laughing at the more absurd stories.

Xander was thoroughly enjoying himself. Sakura's company was refreshing and pleasant, in fact, these last few days, ever since the recital, he had started to seek her out, just to talk about anything that might come to mind. Sakura had thought nothing of it, as she still deemed it necessary to work on her "people skills" and so Xander had a perfect excuse for being around her even if they didn't have anything of substance to discuss.

She had grown noticeably bolder in his presence – though she was always polite and proper, and sometimes, she would smile or laugh in response to something he said.

It made Xander happy every time he managed to pull that off.


	30. In Which There Are Books

**A/N:**

This scene was originally planned to take place at a yet unspecified point later in the story, but I decided to move it here, as it makes more sense that way. Xander's words encouraged Sakura to be proactive, and thus, she decides to visit – you probably already guessed it – the library. And who lives among those dusty shelves? Come and see!

* * *

Sakura prowled down the aisle, searching the dusty bookshelves for what she needed. Spotting a title that looked promising, Sakura stood on her tiptoes and pulled the tome from the shelf and then carried it over to one of the tables by the windows in order to leaf through it and determine if it would serve her needs. However, she was rather surprised that said table was occupied – Prince Leo was there, almost completely hidden behind piles of books.

Sakura stopped dead, more out of surprise than anything else – she hadn't known Leo was such an avid reader, nor that he could actually read Hoshidan.

Leo looked up, apparently having noticed that someone was there, and seemed no less surprised to see her.

"Princess Sakura!"

He stood and bowed with a flourish – Nohrian bows were strange, Sakura found.

"P-prince Leo. I didn't know you would be here."

"Really? I practically live here", he replied, and Sakura realised he had just made a joke.

She allowed herself a wan smile.

"I see. You read Hoshidan?"

"I do. I was trained as a tactician from an early age on, and my father and tutors deemed it useful for me to be able to read, write and speak Hoshidan – so I'd be able to read intercepted missives and help with interrogations. However, all I know is related to warfare, and so I am trying to find books not related to that."

"I see", Sakura replied, quite impressed by what he had just told her.

The tome she was holding was rather heavy, and Sakura shifted it in her arms so she wouldn't drop it.

"Oh, would you like to put the book down? I can make some space for you."

"That w-would be nice – though I don't want to i-intrude."

"You're not intruding. This is your library", Leo replied as he started to move piles of books and piling them on top of one another. "If anything, I'm occupying it."

"Uh, all right. But – aren't you w-worried that those piles will f-fall over?"

"No. I'm using magic to keep them in place."

"Oh. Neat."

Sakura placed the book on the table and sat down. Flipping the cover open, she read through the index.

"Might I ask what you are looking for? I haven't seen you in the library so far."

"I want to s-study our laws, so I know what I can and c-can't do. I'll write e-everything down for Hinoka-onee, so she'll have it easier o-once she returns."

"I see. That is very thoughtful of you."

Sakura hummed, still not used to strangers complimenting her as much as the Nohrians, especially Xander, did on almost a daily base.

"It is actually fortunate for me that you chanced upon me", Leo said. "I would require your help."

"Uh – yes?"

"I have been working my way through the library section by section, but I can't read the labels on the shelves, and so, whenever I want to move on to a new section, I have to find someone to show me where it is, since, naturally, I don't want to read through books that hold no interest for me. I have been trying to find the history section, but with no success."

"Oh! I see – the library is v-very old, and so are the l-labels – our way of writing has evolved since, so I g-guess that's the reason you can't read them. I – I could t-translate them for you, if you like."

"That would be wonderful. I'd learn something new, and I wouldn't have to ask for help any more. Though it is not a very urgent matter – I understand that you are very busy, and I wouldn't want to keep you from work with such trivial matters."

"Oh, no, it's no b-bother – and your sister usually occupies my time with m-much more trivial things."

"Ah, yes, that's Elise for you. But she seems quite happy around you – I believe she considers you a friend."

"A friend – the thought is so – strange."

"Though you seem to get along quite well with Xander, too – which is surprising, really. He doesn't normally let strangers get that close."

"He – he told me a few things, about l-life in Nohr and at c-court, so I understand your surprise. He also said that he doesn't tell these things to strangers, I think he did it so I'd be a-able to better understand him – you see, I had w-wanted to practise talking to strangers by talking to h-him, since he seemed so stern and intimidating to me. I think he wanted to make me l-less afraid of him."

"You were terrified of him, weren't you."

"Y-yes. It was partly due to the whole s-situation – and the fact I didn't know him at all. I'm no longer frightened of him, though."

"I think talking to him really helped you", Leo replied. "You seem a lot more at ease around us. Xander is actually pretty glad about this, because, as he said, frightening someone like you didn't really feel very good. It bothered him, I believe."

"I – had no idea."

"He is good at hiding these things."

"I thought so. He did say that you w-were all wearing masks, e-except for Princess Elise."

"Really? So does that mean you know what we're really like?", Leo asked, arching a brow.

"Both he and Elise s-said that you can actually be nice if you want to", Sakura replied cautiously.

Leo barked out a laugh.

"Indeed. I think I could even be charming if I made an effort. I just consider it a waste of my time to play nice in most cases. I usually reserve my nice side for my family."

"I think you're being p-pretty nice right now", Sakura observed.

"You might be right about that. Being nasty or rude to you wouldn't serve any purpose, either. I don't have to keep you at arm's length – as soon as your sister returns, we'll be off. And that, I believe, might well be the end of our acquaintance."

"I see."

It was kind of disheartening, really, to think that she might never be able to see Xander or Elise again after they returned to Nohr – even if the thing with the alliance should work out, Sakura doubted that Hinoka would have the time for recent trips to Nohr, and she surely wouldn't send Sakura, either. There was only the two of them left, after all.

"Are you going to miss them? Elise and Xander, I mean."

"I think so", Sakura replied. "I've really come to enjoy spending time with them. Both are so kind, and patient, d-despite my inadequacies."

"Xander grew up with a crowd of younger siblings. Of course he's patient. Though his behaviour towards you is still – odd. I'd have expected nothing less form Elise, but Xander – even if I do believe that the arguments you gave me are valid..."

"Could it maybe have something t-to do with the alliance he's planning? That he's investing so much t-time in this because of that?"

"It's possible", Leo admitted. "But I don't think it's his main motivation. I don't really – oh. Oh. Now it's beginning to make sense..."

"What is?"

"I can't be sure yet. I'll have to investigate first – I don't want to go spreading rumours."

"Oh. I see."

"I have some parchment and ink here, if you want to borrow that", Leo said, smoothly changing the subject.

"Oh! Right. I a-almost forget. I'll get right to it."

Sakura snapped her book shut and and took the sheet Leo handed her. After smoothing out the wrinkles and placing weights on the edges, she picked up a brush with her right hand while holding back her sleeve with her left so she wouldn't drag it through the ink.

Leo watched her, curiosity plainly written on his face, as she wrote down the symbols used to label the different sections, how they would be written today, and any possible meanings she could think of.

"Fantastic", Leo said once she was done. "Thank you very much for this, Princess Sakura. You just made my life a lot easier."

Sakura chuckled.

"Not at all. Um – I'm not an expert on the library, but – if you need something, you c-can ask me. That way, I could practise talking to you, too."

"I appreciate it. I might actually take you up on it – you're the first person not to look down his or her nose whenever I couldn't find something..."

"Oh no! Did people actually do that? I'm so sorry!"

"Don't apologise. It's not your fault. They're just being petty, and I don't let that bother me. You are not allowed to feel bad about this, is that clear?"

"Very well..."

"So, that's enough talking for now. You need to study, and I need to finish this fascinating book here."

Sakura nodded her acquiescence, and opened the book again. She had originally planned to take it to her study, but spontaneously decided against it. Leo didn't seem to mind her presence, after all, and it would be much easier for her if she didn't have to run back to the library every time she found she needed a different book.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I've decided that Leo is a bookworm. Bookworms are cool. Also, Leo is on to something – but won't tell us what. How mean.


	31. In Which There Is a Confrontation

**A/N:**

ATTENTION! I'm going to upload two chapters simultaneously. This is the first one.

* * *

"Princess Sakura."

"P-princess Camilla! F-fancy meeting you here."

Running into Leo by accident was one thing, and running into his older sister another – those two matters were worlds apart in Sakura's opinion, especially since the Nohrian princess was currently glaring at her.

"Uh – nice w-weather we're having today", Sakura ventured, desperate to lighten the mood.

However, Camilla clearly didn't appreciate the effort, if anything, her glare became even more vicious.

"Do not play games with me, Princess Sakura. I know what you're up to, and I want you to stop."

"P-pardon?"

Sakura was completely blind-sided.

"I d-don't know what you're t-talking about - "

"You want me to spell it out for you? Fine. Everyone else might have been fooled by your docile act, but I know how women like you work. I do not know how you have managed to bewitch my brother, but this ends today. I will not allow you to hurt him. You will stay away from Xander, or there will be consequences. Am I understood?"

"W-what? B-but I don't - "

"Am I understood?", Camilla all but growled.

Sakura stared at her, at a loss for words, her thoughts spinning wildly out of control. It took all her willpower not to shrink away form this kind of aggression, nevertheless Sakura was certain Camilla could tell that she was frightened.

With as much dignity as she could muster, she turned around and headed back the way she had come. Once out of sight, she quickened her pace and hurried back to the safety of her room.

Sakura could not comprehend what was going on – only one thing was certain – the Nohrians apparently didn't like to let other people get a word in when they were talking. She had no idea what exactly Camilla was accusing her of – or why she had chosen to do it all of a sudden. She tried to make sense of Camilla's words – but the only thing she could figure out was that Camilla thought that she might harm Xander – an utterly absurd notion.

Had Xander maybe put her up to this? Had he grown tired of Sakura's company, and didn't want to tell her himself? And there she had thought they were getting along so well...

Or maybe Camilla was just jealous? Perhaps she was used to spending more time with her brother, and was angry with Sakura for taking up so much of his time?

Or was it actually her fault? Had she done something wrong without realising it, maybe broken Nohrian protocol or something?

No matter how hard Sakura thought on these matters, she couldn't work this out by herself. Her best option would probably be to simply ask Xander what was going on, as she didn't dare approach Camilla, but she had no idea how she should meet with him in secret without him thinking something strange was up – but the alternative of Camilla finding out didn't seem very pleasant, either – that woman was scary. She briefly debated asking him at dinner, but dismissed the idea straight away – Camilla would be there, too, and things might turn all sorts of awkward.

Her head was spinning form all the thoughts running through her mind, and her anxiety returned with a vengeance. Almost certain that she would get sick in due course, Sakura decided to barricade herself in her rooms and not go out again – as she was, by now, convinced that, somehow, this was all her fault.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Please don't hate me – or Camilla – too much. But I can't just write fluff all the time. I don't intend to make Camilla into a villain, but I take her to be the kind of person to come to this kind of conclusion, and react in such a manner. Her motivation will be explained in the following chapter, which should be up momentarily.

Also, Yue doesn't interfere because shouting matches between nobles aren't unheard of even in Hoshido, and she can't speak for Sakura – that would be unseemly. She would have interfered had Camilla attacked, or to keep the situation from escalating, like last time.


	32. In Which Xander Speaks in Plain Language

**A/N:**

ATTENTION! I'm going to upload two chapters simultaneously. This is the second one.

* * *

"Princess Sakura sure is late tonight", Elise observed as they sat down for dinner.

"Indeed", Xander replied with a frown. "We should probably wait for her to arrive before we start eating."

Several servants entered carrying trays laden with food and began placing the bowls on the table.

"Excuse me", Xander said, addressing one of the women. "Do you know what's keeping Princess Sakura, and when we might expect her?"

"Sakura-hime is indisposed", the servant replied coolly. "I do not believe she will be joining you for dinner."

"Indisposed? I just spoke with her earlier, she seemed to be in perfect health! What has happened?"

"You might want to ask your sister, Xander-sama", she replied archly.

As one, the servants bowed and filed out through the door.

Frowning, Xander turned back to the table and fixed his three sisters with a glare.

"It wasn't me!", Kamui said hurriedly, raising her hands in defence. "I am keeping my distance, as promised."

"It most certainly wasn't me", Elise said, sounding affronted. "Why would I want to upset Sakura? She's the sweetest thing ever..."

Camilla was suspiciously quiet, and staring quite intently at her food.

"Well?", Xander prompted, when she still didn't say anything after a while.

"I – might have had a confrontation with her earlier", Camilla admitted, still refusing to meet his eyes. "I just – I didn't think it would affect her like that."

"You had better tell me everything. And do keep in mind that I can always ask Princess Sakura to confirm your story."

"Fine", Camilla said, lifting her head to look him squarely in the eye. "I told her to stay away from you, and stop toying with you. She tried to weasel her way out of it, so I lost my temper a little bit. I did not harm her, though. Just proved my point."

"I'm afraid I can't quite follow you, Camilla. Why would you wish to keep us apart?"

"Because she's chasing after you! Like all those harlots at home! And you didn't even realise – I had to do something!"

"You acted out of worry for me?", Xander asked, barely able to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Of course! You may be my older brother, but that doesn't mean I won't look out for you, too! I don't want you to get hurt!"

For a moment, Xander was so furious he thought he might cleave the table in twain, or smash something.

 _How dare she?!_

Digging the nails of his left hand into the palm under the table so the others wouldn't see, Xander took a deep breath.

"Perhaps, next time, you should come talk to me rather than go off on your own and try to avenge me", he gritted out. "But no, instead of telling me about your suspicions, you just went and terrorised the woman I love!"

Camilla's face drained of all colour.

"You – love her?", she asked weakly.

"You didn't know?", Elise asked in disbelief. "It was so obvious even Leo figured it out!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Silence!", Xander snapped. "I am not in the mood for your bickering! Camilla, your hot-headed actions might not just have ruined all chances of forming an alliance with Hoshido, but also my personal happiness. I've been considering strengthening the alliance though a marriage, if Princess Sakura should be willing. But you just botched it up! I should consider myself lucky if she even talks to me after this."

"Is – is that the reason you spend so much time with her?", Camilla asked, unable to meet his gaze.

"Recently, yes. I first became aware of my feelings following the first concert she and Elise gave. Ever since, I've been trying to spend as much time with her as I possibly could, what with Elise taking up much of her free time already."

"You could have told me!"

"When have I ever discussed my feelings with you? Or anyone else, for that matter?"

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea..."

"I'm not the one you should apologise to. You will go see Princess Sakura at your earliest convenience, tell her how very sorry you are, that you were wrong, and beg for her forgiveness."

"Yes."

"Do I have you word?"

"I swear it. Gods, Xander, if I'd known – I would never stand in the way of your happiness! I'll do anything to make up for this."

"Good. Now excuse me, while I try to salvage the situation."

Xander stormed out of the room – leaving a few frightened servants and courtiers in his wake, not that he cared. The way to Sakura's rooms had never seemed so long to him, and never before had he dreaded meeting with her so. He could only imagine what kind of state she must be in – he knew what it was like when Camilla unleashed her fury on someone, and if there was something she was very passionate about, it was protecting her family.

"I have to see her!", Xander blurted out as soon as Ai opened the door.

The servant was clearly surprised to see him, but bade him enter nonetheless. After having shut the door, she turned around to face him.

"Princess Sakura is very unwell, and has shut herself in her bedroom. I do not believe she will receive you as she is now."

"I have to!", Xander replied. "I just found out what my sister did – please allow me to make amends. It was all a misunderstanding, and she needs to know that. If I do not tell her these things now, if fear she might not come out again at all."

Ai still seemed hesitant, and Xander was slowly growing desperate.

"Please, Ai-san, help me in this. Let me help your princess. I know what I intend to do is highly inappropriate, but – you may remain with us, if it makes you feel any better. No-one need know where I spoke with her – and I have nothing to say I wouldn't say in front of you, or anyone else."

The servant seemed quite surprised by his words, but Xander could tell that he was making progress.

"Princess Sakura speaks highly of you, so – very well. Wait here, I shall announce you. Give her some time."

"Thank you."

Ai disappeared into Sakura's bedroom, and he could hear her speak quietly with Sakura.

"Prince Xander's here?"

Sakura's voice sounded raspy, and Xander deduced that she might have been crying. The thought made his heart clench.

"But – I'm not allowed to see him..."

Xander couldn't hear Ai's reply, but Sakura relented and gave permission for him to enter.

Xander moved towards the door and was met by Ai.

"I shall stay near the door, Xander-sama. Not because I do not trust you – but for propriety's sake."

"I understand. Thank you once again."

The servant gave him a small smile.

Xander was not very comfortable with the idea of entering Sakura's bedroom, but he was certain that dragging her out of bed wouldn't be very helpful, either.

Sakura had burrowed under her blanket, only the top half of her head was visible. As she lay curled up on her right side, Xander approached from that direction and slowly lowered himself to the ground.

Sakura's eyes were bloodshot, and she was frightfully pale. Her eyes briefly flickered to his, then away again, as if she wasn't sure what to expect.

"Princess Sakura, I fear I must apologise on behalf of my sister – I just found out what happened earlier, and I can't even begin to express how aggrieved I am. Camilla acted on her own, without my knowledge or consent. It was a terrible misunderstanding – you were utterly blameless throughout all of this."

Sakura blinked, then hiccuped.

"So – d-does that mean I'm still allowed to see you?"

"Of course you are allowed to see me! Camilla can't forbid you to, and I swear she will not be attempting to harm you, or keep you from seeing me. Like I said, she grossly misinterpreted the whole situation – she didn't know the reason for our frequent meetings, and assumed that you were trying to take advantage of me."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"She thought that I w-was chasing after you?"

"Yes. You see, you wouldn't have been the first one – back in Nohr, women would vie for my attention – try to get close to me, and usually into my bed, too. Camilla would try to keep them off my back – since all of them were of lower rank than her, she could afford to unleash her fury on them without having to fear repercussions. However, she failed to consider that you are not of lower rank – you are the regent of Hoshido. She clearly overstepped her bounds."

"Oh dear – I hadn't thought that it might seem like this to s-someone from Nohr – I w-wasn't – trying to use you, or a-anything..."

"I know", Xander replied soothingly. "I know you well enough to understand that you are not that kind of person. Camilla thought you were, though, and, instead of telling me about her suspicions, she decided to confront you herself. I admonished her harshly for that. I know that neither Camilla nor I can undo what has been done, but please – do not let this dictate how you will act from here on out. Maybe I should have been more open with Camilla and Leo, but I dislike the idea of burdening them with my affairs."

"I understand that w-well enough – really, I'm just so glad that I d-didn't do anything wrong, and that we can continue our c-conversations... I met Prince Leo in the l-library the other day, and he remarked on h-how far I'd come..."

"You did? He never said anything to me..."

 _But it explains how he managed to figure out I am in love with you. He was always a smart one._

"W-we had quite a pleasant conversation. I think he's t-trying to read all the books in the library before going back home", Sakura said, the sparkle of life slowly returning to her eyes.

"That wouldn't be unlike him at all. He was always very studious. Though I didn't know his interest in Hoshidan things ran so deep."

"He seemed to d-dislike the fact that anything he knows is related solely to warfare. I r-really admire his desire to learn more. B-besides, learning how to write Hoshidan can't have been easy..."

"Probably not. Then again, Leo does seem to have a knack for these kind of things. Say... would you be interested in learning more about Nohr? Our history, our culture? It is very different from yours, after all."

"I'd like to. I think it might also help me understand all of you better."

"Very well. Will you come to dinner?"

Sakura frowned.

"I – I'm not sure I'm ready for that. But I might eat something later on."

"All right. See you at breakfast tomorrow?"

"I think so."

"Very well, then. Rest well – and don't let Camilla's actions bother you."

"Th-thank you."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Welp, Xander's "secret" is out. Leo started suspecting what was going on after his conversation with Sakura, but was clever enough to ask Elise – who spends a lot of time with Sakura – if she thought it could be true. They agreed not to say anything, though, as they weren't sure of Sakura's feelings in the matter, and didn't want to rob Xander of the chance to confess to her himself.

Camilla came to the same conclusion as Leo, but lacked the information he had, and thus assumed that Sakura was trying to gain something by attaching herself to Xander.

The result: Drama.

Camilla had originally planned to keep her involvement in this matter a secret as to not bother Xander overly much, but had not expected Sakura to be so affected by her words. Nohrian ladies usually weren't bothered too much by her – or pretended not to be bothered, at least.


	33. In Which There Is a Heart-to-Heart

**A/N:**

This one took me longer than I had thought it would, but here it is! I tried to post it several times during the last two days, but the site was experiencing some problems. I finished writing the next chapter, though, and should be able to upload it tonight.

* * *

Sakura was, admittedly, a bit nervous when she approached the dining hall the next morning. Despite the fact that Xander's words the previous evening had done much to calm her, and make her realise she hadn't been at fault at all, she was still anxious about seeing Camilla again.

Upon entering, however, she realised that the reason for her nervousness wasn't even present – Camilla's usual seat was empty, even though the others were already there.

Xander greeted her with a small smile, while his youngest sister was less restrained in her way of greeting.

"Princess Sakura! It's so good to see you're feeling better – we were all so worried when we heard what had happened..."

Leo also expressed his delight at seeing her, while Kamui looked as if she wanted to join in, but ultimately decided against it.

Sakura thanked them politely and took her place at the table.

"Um – where's Princes C-camilla?"

"She has excused herself", Elise replied. "I don't think she's quite ready to face any of us just yet. Xander was quite angry with her yesterday – it made me profoundly glad I wasn't the one he was mad at."

Sakura could understand that all to well after having gotten a taste of Xander's anger herself.

"You seem to be doing well despite the fact that she lashed out at you, though", Leo observed. "I've seen her go after some of the noble ladies at court who took it too far – that was never pretty."

"I'm just really glad it w-was just a misunderstanding", Sakura replied. "I w-was actually convinced I'd done something wrong, broken Nohrian protocol or something..."

"Why doesn't that surprise me", Xander muttered.

Sakura wasn't sure if she should feel offended by that or not.

"Well, it's all taken care of now", Elise stated. "And Xander came to your defence like a knight in shining armour! He delivered quite the speech."

Xander looked distinctively uncomfortable, much to Sakura's surprise.

Leo rolled his eyes.

"That's enough, Elise. Don't tease Xander for being nice, or he might stop."

"Nah, I don't think so", Elise retorted, but she still decided to let the matter rest.

Once breakfast was over, Sakura headed out into the gardens – following the events of the previous day, all meetings and audiences for the day had been cancelled – though Sakura had re-scheduled some of them for the afternoon. Deciding to use her free morning to catch some fresh air, Sakura made her way over to a large magnolia tree and sat down in between its roots, determined to meditate for a bit.

After having found a comfortable spot, she closed her eyes and began to detach herself from the world and just _be_.

Sakura started when someone cleared her throat nearby. Looking around wide-eyed, she spotted Princess Camilla standing a few feet away.

"My apologies", the Nohrian princess said softly. "I did not mean to startle you. You seemed quite out of it."

"I, uh, I was t-trying to m-meditate."

"Ah, meditation – Xander has started to practise that, too – he told me he even fell asleep once!"

Camilla seemed to find that very funny, but Sakura felt dread rising.

 _Did Xander actually tell her what happened?_

"D-did he, now?"

"Indeed. I was quite surprised by that – I don't think he ever fell asleep just like that."

"I-is that so..."

"Oh dear, look at me, prattling on and on about something so inconsequential... I did not come here to discuss my brother's strange sleeping habits with you, you know."

"Uh – n-no?"

Seeing as how Camilla was apparently trying to change the subject, Sakura dared to hope that Xander had kept the part of the story involving her a secret – Sakura would have been mortified if anyone ever found out.

"No, I did not."

Camilla bit her lip, looking uncertain – which was a very strange look for her. "Uncertain" and "Camilla" weren't really words that would go together well in a sentence, Sakura thought.

She was caught off guard when Camilla moved closer all out of a sudden, and dropped down to her knees facing Sakura.

"Princess Sakura, I came to apologise for my dreadful behaviour yesterday – ignorant of the whole situation, I made an assumption based on experience, but failed to gather additional information before confronting you – when I realised just how wrong I had been, I was shocked. Devastated. You see, I've lost so many brothers and sisters during my life – and so I've sworn to protect the remaining ones from harm – let no-one hurt them. That is why I reacted the way I did. I was certain you meant Xander harm."

Sakura had been taken aback by this confession so much it took her a while to formulate a response. Camilla seemed genuinely contrite, and, given her family's history, her reasoning seemed sound.

"I – I had n-no idea what was g-going on", she said at length. "No idea why y-you were so angry, or what I'd done wrong – did this happen o-often? Women chasing after Prince Xander, that is?"

"All the time. Every woman was after the crown he'd wear one day, including his own sisters."

Sakura blinked.

"His own sisters w-wanted to marry him?"

Camilla actually laughed at that.

"Of course not! They wanted him out of the way."

"B-but – Prince Xander said that his position was r-relatively secure..."

"It was, but some people just didn't realise that, or decided to try anyway. The results usually weren't pretty."

"Oh. He told me what l-life at court was like for you – I'm s-sorry these kind of things h-happened to you."

"Why are you apologising? You have nothing to apologise for! And you are the last person in this world who should feel sorry for me, especially after what I did!"

"B-but – it w-was just a misunderstanding, wasn't it? A-and now it's taken care of..."

"Don't try to downplay this! I know you were terrified of me yesterday! Why are you being so nice?"

"W-well, it's just – I w-was so worried I w-wouldn't be able to practice with Prince Xander any more, so – I'm just glad I can continue to s-see him, I guess?"

"Practice?", Camilla replied, frowning.

"Un. I practise talking to strangers, a-and Prince Xander seemed like the b-best person to practice with."

"Oh, I see. He didn't mention that – but I can see how this might help you."

"It d-does. Prince Leo said so when I met him the other day."

"You met with Leo? No-one tells me anything! It's outrageous! I'll need to have a word with my brothers. This cannot stand."

Sakura chuckled, but quickly hid her smile behind her sleeve, not sure how Camilla would react to her mirth.

"And now she's smiling", the Nohrian princess all but groaned. "I knew you were stronger than you let on, but this is more than I had expected."

"Strong? M-me? I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. You might not realise it, but you _are_ strong. You just need to believe in yourself more."

"Y-you really think so?"

"Definitely. And I believe that your kindness is part of your strength, too."

"I don't know..."

"Believe in yourself. Starting today", Camilla ordered. "Anyway, I dare say we got a little side-tracked in our conversation."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise."

"Sorry."

Camilla heaved a sigh.

"How am I supposed to apologise to you if you keep apologising yourself? I'm the one who committed a wrong here."

"Well, you a-already apologised, didn't you? And I forgive you. So there."

Camilla looked very relieved to hear that.

"Thank you. Does that mean I'm allowed to rise?"

"R-rise? I d-don't understand."

"Oh, right, you wouldn't, seeing as how you Hoshidans practically kneel all the time – it has a different meaning in Nohr."

Camilla shifted so she was sitting now rather than kneeling.

"In Nohr, people kneel for different reasons – to show devotion or loyalty – a man proposing to a woman will usually kneel while doing that – it can also be a show of respect. People will usually kneel in the presence of the king or queen. However, they will also kneel if they want to beg for something – aid, mercy – forgiveness."

"Oh. So that's what you w-were doing."

"Yes. It is a sign of self-abasement – though the meaning behind it was lost completely as you were already kneeling yourself."

"Hm. The Hoshidan equivalent to that w-would be to prostrate oneself."

"Prostrate? I really wouldn't want to go there. That seems a bit too humiliating for my taste."

"I won't insist", Sakura replied.

"Thank you."

They fell silent after that, and Sakura soon started fidgeting again – she had absolutely no idea what to say, since she didn't know what kind of things Camilla liked to do, or talk about.

"How are you faring as regent, I mean on a daily base? We hardly notice what is going on unless it's something that directly involves us, like that nasty assassination attempt."

"W-well, I think I'm getting the hang of things", Sakura replied, her brow wrinkled. "I'm still very ignorant about m-many things, b-but Prince Xander has given me some pointers, and that helps."

"Is that so... I honestly had no idea how close the two of you had grown – I only began to notice that something was going on after the first concert you and Elise gave – which was wonderful, by the way. I don't think I ever got around to tell you."

"Th-thank you", Sakura replied, embarrassed, but pleased. "W-well, I only approached Prince Xander about wanting to practice s-speaking shortly before that, I think. At first, we'd only m-meet by accident, or if there w-was something we had to discuss. We've started meeting more often recently, though – well, as often as my schedule allows."

"I see. That might be why I only became aware of it recently. But I think this is actually doing him some good, too – he's opened up to you, hasn't he."

"I think so."

"Hm. Xander is the kind of person to bottle up his feelings, to let no-one inside – he has that silly notion that, because he is the eldest, he has to be strong at all times, be strong for us. He sometimes neglects himself that way. The fact that he was willing to share certain things with you indicates that he trusts you. Very much, in fact. You should cherish that trust."

"I will", Sakura replied earnestly. "I do realise it's an honour, g-given your past. A-and – I promise I won't ever do anything to hurt him."

"That's all I can ask for", Camilla replied softly. "Now, as pleasant as our conversation was, I must be on my way – it's high time I got down to the training pitch and found someone to spar with."

"Uh – have fun? B-but – don't you want to get changed first?"

"No, I don't feel like practising with my axe today – looks like it's going to be a very warm day, so I'll practise magic instead. This dress will do for that."

"I see. I think I shall meditate some more."

"To each their own", Camilla replied while rising to her feet and dusting leaves and twigs off her dress.

She gave Sakura one final nod before heading out.

Watching her go with her head tilted to one side, Sakura decided she would need some time to digest everything that had just happened, and determine what she had learned.


	34. In Which Kamui Offers Advice

A knock sounded on his door, and Xander looked up as Kamui poked her head inside.

"Xander? You got time for me?"

"Of course. Come in."

Kamui closed the door behind her, and Xander picked up one of the cushions strewn on the floor.

"Catch!"

He tossed the cushion in Kamui's direction. She managed to catch it just before it hit her squarely in the face.

"Hey!"

Xander smirked and gestured for her to join him.

"So, what's up?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm insanely curious about what you're going to do about Sakura. Are you going to court her?"

"I'd like to, but things are quite complicated. For starters, I have absolutely no idea how to court a Hoshidan princess. Seeing how different our cultures are, I fear that if I just tried to woo her anyway, I'd probably end up offending someone or making a complete fool of myself."

"Oh dear. I hadn't even considered that – unfortunately, I can't give you any pointers..."

"Hm. And I most certainly won't ask any of the courtiers."

"That would be all sorts of awkward... Hey, you could ask Hinoka! She ought to know."

"True, but – I don't think I truly need to worry about this kind of thing before I've secured her consent – she is head of the family now, after all."

"Right. Wait, do you think she would refuse her consent?"

"It's a possibility I must consider. I am Nohrian, after all."

"Surely she wouldn't blame you for your father's deeds!"

"Many do so already, and even if this is your estimation based on the Hinoka you knew before the war, well, she might be a changed person now. Until I have her permission to court her sister, I will not broach the subject to Princess Sakura – it would be cruel of me to put her through this only for Princess Hinoka to put an end to it."

"So – what are you going to do now?"

"Spend more time with her. Get to know her better – allow her to get to now me better. She's expressed a desire to learn more about Nohr so she can understand us better, and I'll try to build on that foundation. The thing is – I know she likes me to some extent, but I have no idea how this compares to other people she knows. I am not deluded enough to believe that she is in love with me – until recently, she was terrified of me, after all."

"True – still, I'd say she's already pretty much at ease around you. You keep this up, and she might very well fall in love with you."

"Heh. That would, of course, be ideal."

"I hope it'll work out – I think you two would be good for each other", Kamui said softly. "Oh, and Xander? Do keep in mind that we're here for you – you don't have to carry the weight of the entire world on your own shoulders, so to say. We're with you all the way, and would do anything to help you. But, you have to tell us. We won't know if you keep these things locked away and hidden form us. All right?"

Xander stared at her for a heartbeat, quite at a loss for words, before pulling her into a bone-crushing bear hug. Kamui let out a surprised grunt, but soon returned the embrace.

"I guess you really needed a hug", she chuckled.

"I might have", Xander muttered. "Thank you for being such a wonderful sister."

"Any time, big brother."


	35. In Which There Is a Discussion On Hair

Camilla had decided that she needed to get better acquainted with Sakura, become her friend, if possible – they had started off on the wrong foot, after all, and, in the event that she should become her law-sister, Camilla felt that she should make an effort. If Sakura agreed. If Hinoka agreed. All of the siblings were of the opinion that this wasn't going to be easy – which was another reason Camilla was trying to befriend Sakura – she was hopeful that this would enable her to help things along a bit.

Unfortunately, Camilla hadn't been able to set her plan into motion yet – for, whenever Sakura wasn't busy with meetings and audiences, she would either study in the library with Leo (who strangely enough didn't seem to mind her company), or she would spend her time with Elise practising music or gossiping, or with Xander, speaking about things of a more serious nature.

And sometimes, she would practise archery, too, or meditate. Or she spent some time locked away in her chambers doing gods know what.

Hefting her axe, Camilla decided to call it a day – the weather was continually getting warmer, and it was getting to her – she was used to the cooler climate of Nohr, after all.

Though Camilla absolutely loved the hot springs. A tub was nothing compared to these.

Camilla stopped by her room to drop off her axe and pick up a clean set of clothes before heading towards the hot springs.

Upon entering, she spotted a woman waiting near the entrance – a wooden screen was blocking the actual spring from view and separated the grotto into the actual bathing area and an area used for cleansing and dressing or undressing. Grilles had been set into the ground to drain the water.

Camilla recognised the woman as Sakura's attendant. The woman bowed to her wordlessly – another thing that was strange about these Hoshidans. Camilla acknowledged her with a nod before depositing her things on a shelf. She then approached the spring and spotted Sakura on the other side, her back leaned against the rocks and her eyes closed.

"Princess Sakura?"

Camilla was glad she hadn't startled the Hoshidan princess this time – she seemed to have been aware that someone else was in the room and merely opened her eyes to look at her.

"I was wondering if you'd mind if I joined you."

"By all means."

"Thank you."

Camilla returned to her things, undressed and pinned up her hair before picking up one of the buckets and emptying it over herself.

"Do you require assistance, Camilla-hime?", the servant asked.

"Ah, no, I'll be fine. Thank you."

By now, Camilla had gotten used to sharing a bath with other women – something that would be unthinkable in Nohr – but allowing someone to help her wash was completely out of the question.

"As you wish."

Once Camilla was done scrubbing herself clean, she approached the hot spring again and picked a spot not too far away from Sakura to have conversation, but also not too close – she didn't want to make the other princess uncomfortable.

Camilla hadn't been sure her intrusion would be tolerated.

Leaning back against the rocks, Camilla submerged herself up to her neck. Hot water could do wonders for sore muscles, and she was going to take full advantage of the fact that she didn't have to save it here.

After a while, a nagging feeling told her she was being watched, something her warrior senses warned her strongly about. Opening her eyes, she caught Sakura staring at her quite intensely.

Sakura instantly blushed and averted her gaze, mumbling an apology full of stutters for having been so rude.

Camilla chuckled and waved a hand.

"Oh, think nothing of it. I'm used to people gawking at me, you know. Might I ask what in particular caught your fancy?"

"Oh, uh – your h-hair."

"My hair? Well, I do admit it's gorgeous."

This actually made Sakura chuckle.

"I r-really like the curls", she said after a while. "We don't see them v-very often in Hoshido."

"Oh, I see", Camilla replied, wrapping a strand that had come loose around her index finger. "I can see how you would find that fascinating."

"It's curious that both you and P-prince Xander have curls, and the other two don't."

"True – but with four different mothers, you shouldn't expect the resemblance between siblings to be too great – it's an interesting coincidence that all of my siblings have blond hair."

"I hadn't thought of that", Sakura replied thoughtfully. "Were your other siblings more d-diverse?"

"Some were, yes. Some took after their respective mothers or members of their mother's families, though there were also some that took after some of father's relatives rather than him."

"I see."

Sakura had begun edging closer during their exchange, and Camilla was delighted to see that she apparently wasn't frightened, if still a bit nervous.

"Would you like a closer look?", Camilla asked, fingering her up-do.

"Um – if you d-don't mind?"

Camilla chuckled again and carefully loosened a longer strand from the bun so it wouldn't all come apart – the biggest drawback about having hair as long as hers was that it took forever to dry.

Sakura shifted on the bench and curiously inspected the strand of curly hair. Camilla was quite willing to indulge her – she had already decided she would do next to anything to get on Sakura's good side, and letting her play with her hair was a small sacrifice on her part, really.

"F-fascinating", Sakura murmured. "Though your curls seem different from your brother's."

Camilla's curiosity was instantly piqued.

"Did Xander let you take a look up close, too?", she asked, eager to find out if, maybe, there was more to the whole story than Xander had let on.

Sakura froze, and when she looked at Camilla, the older princess realised she'd let something slip without meaning to. Without warning, Sakura's face turned a bright scarlet.

"Oh, n-no, nothing like that - "

"Don't try to weasel your way out of this – tell me everything! I am used to indulge my younger siblings with silly things like that, but Xander – how on earth did you manage to do that? I honestly cannot imagine Xander agreeing to something like that."

"He – um, you see, he d-doesn't know", Sakura admitted sheepishly.

"He doesn't know? What do you mean by that?"

"I c-can't say – it's way too embarrassing!", Sakura replied, agitated.

"This is getting more interesting by the minute! You must tell me. No, I insist – the suspense is killing me!"

"I – please, if I do, you m-must promise not to tell anyone! We promised to k-keep this between us – well, not the part about his hair, as he doesn't know about that, you s-see – I really don't want to break my w-word like that..."

"I'm his sister", Camilla scoffed. "I am entitled to know these things. But I promise I won't tell Xander, or anyone else."

Sakura still looked uncertain about this. Camilla reached for her hand and took hold of it, giving the princess her most sincere look.

"Please, tell me. You can't be so cruel as to leave me in the dark after letting something as interesting as this slip. Please."

Sakura bit her lip before nodding reluctantly.

"V-very well. You mentioned that he practises meditation n-now when we last spoke – that's how it started."

"Xander was meditating, and you sneaked up on him?", Camilla asked, delighted.

"Not quite. He was asleep when I found him, and – I feared that something m-might be wrong with him, so I went to check."

Camilla's face fell.

"You thought he was injured?"

"Or w-worse. He was all by himself, after all, which I thought strange. So I rushed over – and f-found that he was merely sleeping. That was a relief."

"You were worried for him?"

"Yes, b-but – mainly because of the p-possible consequences if someone had killed him. I – I was terrified of the thought."

"Understandable – how long ago was that?"

"Hm, let me think – oh, it was the day of – of the funeral", Sakura replied, her brow furrowed. "In the morning."

"I see. That was a while ago – I take it you've grown closer since?"

"Yes. Back then, I w-was still pretty scared of him."

"Then what happened? You seized the opportunity to inspect his ringlets?", Camilla guessed, her good mood returning.

"Well, yes. I know I sh-shouldn't have, and I did try to stop myself – but I was just so curious. Did you know he even f-frowns when he's asleep?"

"I did not", Camilla replied, astounded. "Then again, we barely notice his frown at all because it is a constant feature, so this probably shouldn't surprise me."

"Hm. A-anyway, I was just reaching out to touch his curls – gods, this is so embarrassing – when he suddenly woke up."

"Oh dear."

"Yes. Before I had time to react or c-come up with a good excuse, he pounced on me and threw me on my back. He w-was so angry, and I h-had no idea why, and I w-was terrified of him..."

Sakura's stammering worsened as she started talking faster and faster, curling in on herself as she relived the memory, her brown eyes wide. Without thinking, Camilla reached out to comfort her. The Hoshidan princess snapped out of her trance, and gave Camilla a weak smile.

"He thought I'd been trying to k-kill him, and the fact that I refused to tell him what I h-had been doing didn't help – I then pointed out that I was unarmed, and asked how I was supposed to kill him."

"The notion is quite absurd, to be perfectly honest", Camilla agreed. "Besides, I couldn't imagine you killing anyone."

"But I have killed", Sakura said quietly. "During the battle at Fort Jinya."

"I never noticed", Camilla replied. "Did you use your bow?"

"Un. Takumi-onii taught me. The bow is the favoured weapon of the miko."

"Oh, I see. I must say I am surprised, though – I wouldn't have thought you capable of actually killing someone."

"It wasn't easy", Sakura admitted. "I'd rather not done it – but the a-alternative was to watch as my soldiers fought for me – and I h-hate feeling useless."

"You are much like Elise in that regard", Camilla replied. "She, too, detests violence and would rather settle every conflict peacefully."

"That's – a nice idea."

"Hm. Now, I do believe we got side-tracked again."

"Oh, you're right – um – where was I?"

"Xander thought you were going to murder him without the use of weapons", Camilla replied with a chuckle.

"Right. So I managed to convince him that I hadn't been trying to kill him, but I still refused to tell him what I had been doing – which frustrated him. He let me off the hook, though, when he saw how d-distraught I was over the whole thing, apologised for having jumped to conclusions and even got w-worried I might have injured my head when he toppled me."

"Aw, that's cute."

"It is? A-anyway, I then wanted to know what he had been doing, and he admitted that he had been trying to meditate, but fell asleep in the process."

"Ah, I see. I know that part."

"Hm. When you brought it up the other day, I was afraid for a moment that he'd told you the whole story..."

"Xander wouldn't do that, not if he had given you his word."

"Well, he didn't exactly make a promise – we just agreed to keep this between us. And then I offered to find him a teacher."

"Interesting. He failed to mention that part, too", Camilla replied, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "No-one tells me anything these days! I'm shocked."

Sakura chuckled.

"Anyway, I assume this happened before you approached him about wanting to practise talking to strangers?"

"Un. I did that a couple of days after the funeral, I believe. As s-soon as I felt well enough to leave my quarters again."

"My, you certainly didn't waste any time. But to think that your desire to study Xander's hair led to so much trouble... There seem to be a lot of misunderstandings happening between you and us."

"T-true, but in that case, I can't very well attribute it to c-cultural differences – I was the only one at fault. I r-really shouldn't have done that."

"Well, no harm was done in the end – tough I imagine Xander gave you quite the scare."

"He did."

"Hm. Oh, while we're on the subject of hair – have you ever considered growing yours longer?"

"I haven't – um – do you think I should?"

"I believe it would make you look more mature."

"Does that mean I look – immature?", Sakura asked, sounding worried.

"Not as such. But I believe longer hair would make you appear more grown-up, if you get what I mean. You look very young the way you are now – you're about Elise's age, I think, yet she seems much older – until she speaks, that is. I've seen many women here who do amazing things with their hair – you're the crown princess now, and I think you should up the ante. You're not a little child any more."

"Hm... you might be right. I'll consider it."

"Splendid. Now, as fascinating as our conversation was, I fear I must take my leave – while I absolutely adore these baths, they are a bit too hot for my taste."

"Don't overdo it", Sakura advised. "Not sure I could p-pull you out of the water if you passed out. It was nice t-talking to you, though."

"Same. Perhaps we can speak again another time?"

"I'd like that."

* * *

 **A/N:**

This chapter was inspired by another faithful reviewer, Draen, though I changed the topic of the conversation as opposed to the original suggestion.

So Camilla just went from "I hate Sakura" to "Sakura and I must become friends", all for the sake of family, of course – or in this particular case, for Xander's. Sakura, on the other hand, is just glad Camilla no longer sees her as an enemy, as she hates conflict. Additionally, Xander's words concerning his siblings convinced her that Camilla is actually a good person deep down inside.

You might wonder why she was willing to tell Camilla about her fascination with Xander's hair when she refused to tell him – this has two reasons. One, telling Xander would have been much more embarrassing. Two, Camilla was much more relentless than her brother – when Xander realised he made Sakura uncomfortable, he dropped the matter. Camilla didn't.


	36. In Which A Message Is Being Delivered

**A/N:**

This is a longer one – almost seven pages.

* * *

The wind was tousling Hinoka's short hair as she stood on a large boulder, gazing eastwards.

She could only see mountain range after mountain range after mountain range, however, Hinoka thought she was able to glimpse the plains of Hoshido in the distance before the scenery blurred into the sky.

Hinoka felt a pang of longing – she wanted to go home so bad, back to her siblings – if they were still alive after all this time. Just because Kamui had promised to keep Sakura and Ryoma safe didn't mean she would be able to. Hinoka wouldn't believe they were well until she had seen them with her own eyes.

However, going back was not an option – it was simply too risky. Hinoka had no idea just how Kamui was planning on keeping Sakura and Ryoma safe – if Sakura _was_ still alive. The Nohrians might have lied about it for all she knew.

And Hinoka still had no idea what had happened to Takumi. But, since the Nohrians hadn't mentioned him, Hinoka feared the worst.

She turned her back on her homeland and carefully climbed down the boulder, then made her way back to camp. They had stopped on a small plateau to rest and eat a bite before moving on.

A strange noise suddenly caught Hinoka's attention – the sound of beating wings. Big ones. She spun around to the left and saw a huge shape approaching from the south, the sun at its back.

For a moment, she stood there, paralysed, as the winged creature descended towards her, before realising the wings weren't leathery and bat-like, but feathered. And the rider didn't seem to be wearing a Nohrian uniform.

As the pegasus dropped lower, she finally recognised the man, and her heart lurched.

"Subaki-san!"

"Hinoka-sama."

He dismounted quickly and bowed to her. Hinoka ran over to him, needing to ascertain herself of the fact that he was truly here.

"Why are you here? Is Sakura safe? What _happened_?"

"Sakura-hime was alive and well when I last saw her. I'm here to escort you home."

"Home? Subaki-san, what in the world is going on?!"

Subaki closed his eyes for a moment.

"We lost. Ryoma-sama and Takumi-sama are dead. King Garon is dead, also. Sakura-hime, Yukimura-sama, Hana-san and myself were being held prisoner by the Nohrians, but they freed the three of us to go looking for you."

"So you're working for the Nohrians now? I'd never thought that you, of all people, could turn traitor!"

Subaki took half a step back, alarmed by the fire in her eyes, but refused to back away any further.

"Hinoka-sama, with all due respect, you should know me better than to call me a traitor", he replied, his eyes glinting. "While it is true that the search parties were organised by Prince Xander, I am here on Sakura-hime's behest. She wished for us to find you fearing that you might start another war if left to your own devices. Prince Xander wants you to become queen, and Sakura-hime chose to believe him."

"And you trust his word?"

"It seemed like the best option. We could have refused to participate, or try to flee while on the road – but we all agreed that you might attack pursuing Nohrians on sight."

"That's certainly true", Hinoka admitted.

"The Nohrians also pointed out that they could have killed you, if they had wanted to. That makes me believe they are being sincere."

Hinoka frowned.

"What of Sakura? What do they plan on doing with her?"

"I do not know. We left the following morning, and never learned their plans regarding her. She might still be a prisoner, maybe they are using her as a hostage to keep the people in line."

"I wouldn't put it past them", Hinoka growled. "Am I supposed to be their puppet, too?"

"I honestly do not know – the Nohrians I am travelling with were quite eager to share information, but I cannot say if that information is accurate or not. Also, Laslow-san – the leader of our team – said that he doesn't know Prince Xander's plans. However, he did vouch for his character – he is one of Prince Xander's retainers, you see."

"Hm. What about Yukimura-san and Hana-san? Are they with you?"

"No – they are on the two other teams. Each team is being led by a royal retainer – the others are with Princess Elise and Princess Camilla."

"What kind of person is this Laslow?"

"Well-mannered. Courteous. A bit shy, really. A capable horseman and swordfighter – we sometimes sparred on the road."

"This whole thing doesn't make any sense", Hinoka said, her brow furrowed. "They've finally conquered Hoshido – something they've been trying to do for years – and now they don't want it? I have a hard time believing that."

"Things are a lot more complicated than we thought. You see, apparently, King Garon died a while ago – the man marching into our capital and slaughtering our people was nothing more than a puppet. The creature controlling him – please bear with me, I can only repeat what the Nohrians told me – was also controlling Takumi-sama, and was planning to destroy both Hoshido and Nohr."

"That's utterly absurd!"

"I understand how you feel, but – please, with your permission, hime-sama, I will tell you everything that happened after the fall of Fort Jinya – though I must warn you that I didn't witness all of these events, and have to refer to the accounts given to me by the Nohrians in many cases."

"Very well. Let's get to the bottom of this mess."

"Oh, before I forget – the Nohrians I am travelling with should arrive soon – they are not hostile, please tell your men to stand down and not engage them."

Hinoka bit her lip.

"You do realise I am taking an awful risk here, don't you."

"I swear to the kami that this is not a trap."

"Fine."

"Hinoka-sama."

One of her ninja materialised nearby.

"Would you like me to pass on Subaki-san's message?"

"Yes. Tell the men that a group of Nohrian soldiers is headed our way. They are not to engage them unless the Nohrians ready for battle. I will be with them shortly."

"Very well."

The ninja took off, and Hinoka turned back to Subaki.

"Well then. Tell me what happened. And leave nothing out."

"As you wish. We were still at Fort Jinya when part of the Nohrian army led by Prince Xander arrived. There was not enough time for us to leave, and so Sakura-hime ordered us to fight alongside the soldiers. Yukimura-sama assumed command in her stead, but she did her share of fighting, and she did rather well, I'd say."

"Wait, what? Sakura was fighting? How?"

"She's learned how to wield a bow", Subaki replied, frowning. "I assumed you knew."

"Takumi", Hinoka sighed. "He must have taught her. Oh dear... Someone like Sakura shouldn't be on a battlefield."

"I agree, but she would not be deterred. Anyway, the Nohrians had far greater numbers than we did, and they were very well-organised. We were fighting a losing battle when Prince Xander offered to spare all of us if Sakura-hime yielded the fort to him. So she surrendered."

"No... She's far to gullible."

"She was trying to save as many lives as possible", Subaki replied quietly. "I respected her wish – though it was not easy for me to let them bind me and drag me off. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there – just as we approached the enemy camp, more Nohrian troops arrived, led by King Garon. They – they massacred every single one of our men. They only spared the four of us."

"No! Those bastards – to kill unarmed prisoners is just vile! I'll never forgive them for this!"

"The ones responsible for the slaughter have already paid for their evil deeds, I was told", Subaki replied. "Prince Xander was not happy with the stain they put on is honour. Laslow-san tells me he killed one of those men himself."

"Is that a normal thing for Nohrians to do? Just kill people?"

"Patience. I shall get there. The four of us were separated and kept apart whenever camp was set up. I quickly realised that there was tension within the Nohrian army – there was one faction following King Garon – the more violent men, for most part – and the ones following Prince Xander. Under orders from Princess Kamui, that part of the army held back with killing as much as possible, offering enemies the opportunity to surrender or flee whenever possible. I did not see this happen with my own eyes, but I heard them talk. King Garon's men thought the other ones were being too soft. Laslow-san confirmed my observations later on."

"Where you mistreated while you were prisoners?"

"I can't speak for the others, but – they left me alone for most part. I know that Prince Xander placed Sakura-hime under his protection, but he didn't dare do the same for us, fearing that this might anger his father. However, some of his men were always nearby, and their presence seemed to be deterrent enough."

"I see. So they possess at least some understanding of decency."

"Some of them, yes. After the battle at the Great Wall, word made round that Takumi-sama had refused to surrender, and instead thrown himself off the wall."

"No!", Hinoka exclaimed, horrified.

"The Nohrians made fun of him for having been a coward – it was not until I set out from Castle Shirasagi that I learned that his 'death' had been a very strange one – for when the Nohrians searched for his body, they found nothing. Not a single trace. He was pronounced dead, but – he somehow survived the fall and made it back to the capital.

"I do not know how Sakura-hime took the news, but I imagine not well. We soon continued on our march, and the Nohrian army at last set up camp just outside the capital. In the evening following the attack, Hana-san, Yukimura-sama and I were fetched by Nohrian soldiers and brought to the castle – Sakura-hime was already there when we arrived. She seemed well, from what I could tell. Prince Xander then told us that they had spared you and sent you into exile, but that he planned on bringing you back so you could become queen – he said that he had no ambition to rule the world and would instead wish to focus on improving the situation in Nohr, which seems to be dire. He wanted our help with that, as he believed that it would be easier for us to track you, and, as I've mentioned before, because he hoped that seeing familiar faces might stop you from attacking his search parties. Yukimura-sama was, understandably, suspicions of their intentions, and Prince Xander vowed that no harm would come to you, Hinoka-sama. They also mentioned the imposter who had been pretending to be their father. Naturally, we didn't believe a word they said at the time – however, I must say that Laslow-san's account has made me less sceptical."

"And so you set out to look for me."

"Yes. We tracked you to the spot where the trail split. We picked three at random and split up. During our travels, Laslow-san was quite willing to answer any questions I might have, and tried to shed some light on the strange events taking place on the day the war was lost. It was from him that I learned of Ryoma-sama and Takumi-sama's deaths."

"How did they die?"

"Ryoma-sama was apparently defending the throne room. He duelled Princess Kamui, but lost. Laslow-san swears that she was trying to spare him, but – he – he stabbed himself."

"No!", Hinoka exclaimed, hands flying to her mouth. "Why?!"

"King Garon had ordered Princess Kamui to kill Ryoma-sama", Subaki replied quietly. "The Nohrians assume that he realised she would be unable to refuse the order with the king looming behind her, so he wished to spare her the pain of having to kill him herself."

"No... she promised to keep him safe... Ryoma – why? Why did you do that?!"

Subaki closed his eyes briefly before continuing.

"Apparently, one of King Garon's henchmen had seen you leave, and confronted Princess Kamui about her betrayal while King Garon was alone in the throne room. A fight broke out between his men and Princess Kamui's, and I believe that everyone involved in the massacre at Fort Jinya was killed. After that, Princess Kamui and Princess Azura revealed their reason for pushing the invasion of Hoshido like they had – they had wanted to literally place King Garon on the Hoshidan throne to reveal his true nature to the others."

"The throne – mother said it had magical properties", Hinoka breathed. "This actually makes sense in a way. So – you mean to say that these two knew about the imposter?"

"Yes. No-one knows how Princess Azura found out, but she was the one to tell Princess Kamui, and together, they came up with a plan to stop him. Revealing his true nature to the others was necessary, as they feared that no-one would believe them."

"Plausible. So I assume it worked?"

"Indeed. I didn't see King Garon's body myself, but Laslow-san assured me it looked monstrous. The imposter wasn't happy when he realised that his 'children' knew about him and attacked them. They could not afford to let him live."

"So – they killed the one they had called 'father' for the last couple of years?"

"Yes – Laslow-san said it was particularly hard on Princess Elise, as she had never known the real King Garon... And then, just as they thought it was over, Takumi-sama appeared. He, too, attacked them, and Princess Azura realised he was being possessed, as well. She apparently tried to save him, but failed. So they killed him, too."

"This is – this cannot be! Takumi – possessed? That's utterly absurd!"

"I reacted in much the same way as you did. However, I did notice changes in his behaviour as of late – I thought they were related to the war, or the death of Mikoto-sama. But, if we accept the possibility of King Garon having been possessed, we must accept the possibility of Takumi-sama having been possessed as well."

"But – I've never heard of anyone being possessed before – who was that person? And why did he want to destroy both our countries?"

"That's the big mystery. No-one knows. Maybe Princess Azura and Princess Kamui will be able to tell us more once we get back, but this is all we know at the moment."

Hinoka bit her lip, her brow furrowed.

"Give me a moment to myself, please. I'll join you in camp shortly."

"As you wish, Hinoka-sama."

Once Subaki was out of sight, Hinoka wrapped her arms around herself and crumpled to the ground, restraining herself only enough not to starts sobbing like some little girl. Tears blurred her vision as she battled her raging emotions while trying to make sense of everything Subaki had told her.

It was a small comfort to know that Sakura had still been alive after the fighting had ended, and that Garon was no longer around to endanger her life – she didn't know much about Xander, but she did think him clever enough not to kill a potential hostage, especially if he wanted her to come back and take the throne. If he killed Sakura, he'd have nothing to keep her in line with. If he let her live – he'd probably drag her off to Nohr, like Kamui had been.

The mere thought made Hinoka feel sick.

In that very moment, she realised just how utterly and completely she had failed – she'd trained all her life to become strong enough to protect her family and bring Kamui back home.

She had not been able to protect anyone. Ryoma was dead. Takumi was dead. And Sakura in the hands of the enemy. And Kamui – Kamui had chosen to side with the Nohrians, and betray Hoshido. Hinoka well remembered her parting words – but Kamui's dream seemed nothing but a fancy, an illusion – how should they ever be able to reconnect as siblings after all that had happened? Kamui could dream all she wanted. Hinoka thought it impossible to come true.

After she had calmed down a bit, Hinoka dried her tears, stood and dusted herself off. She desperately hoped the others wouldn't be able to tell that she had been crying – she was their princess. She had to be strong for them.

Upon approaching their campsite, Hinoka noticed that the Nohrians had arrived – the two groups stood facing each other, watching each other warily. However, so far, no-one had drawn a weapon.

Subaki was standing next to his pegasus, watching both groups closely. Hinoka stopped next to him and crossed her arms.

A few of the Nohrians glanced her way, but most seemed to think it better to keep an eye on the others instead.

"Nohrians!", Hinoka called out. "I was told you come in peace. Who is your leader?"

"That would be me, Hinoka-sama", a dark-haired horseman replied.

He swiftly dismounted, handed the rains to the man next to him and approached Hinoka, his movements graceful and determined. Once he stood before her, he bowed with a flourish.

"My name is Laslow, I am one of Prince Xander's retainers. Prince Xander sends his regards, and asked me to assure you that he means neither you nor your sister any harm. He asks that you return to Hoshido and take the throne as the next queen."

"Do I have any choice in this matter?"

"I suppose you could keep running, if you like – but that would mean abandoning your sister, who, as I've been told, is desperate to have you back. Besides, don't you have a duty to your country?"

Hinoka glared at Laslow, hating him for being right.

"When you put it like that, I suppose I don't have a choice. Fine. I'll go back with you."

"Splendid. You there", he said, spinning around to address one of his mages. "Send the following message: 'mission complete', 'retreat', 'regroup'."

"Yes, sir."

The mage looked around before levitating onto the highest boulder near them, then, he fired a succession of flares. After a while, he did it again, only this time, he got two "replies" within a short amount of time. Apparently satisfied, he dropped off the boulder and caught himself with magic before hitting the ground.

"Done."

"Very good."

"So those flares were yours. We figured that there were two teams after us, but we didn't notice the third one."

"We knew there was a risk you would see the flares, but we needed to keep each other up-to-date. Um – with your permission, Hinoka-sama, I would suggest that we rest for a bit before turning back. My men are just as tired as yours."

"Fine by me."

The Nohrians immediately began tethering their horses to the ground or rocks and settled down on the ground before starting to hand out food. Laslow picked up a share and brought it over to Subaki, who had made himself at home among Hinoka's men.

"Thank you", Subaki said with a smile.

Hinoka decided not to comment on that and went over to sit in between Setsuna and Asama. Most of her men were already done eating, so they just sat there and waited for the Nohrians to finish.

Though Hinoka couldn't really say she minded the prolonged rest – her men were exhausted, both mentally and physically, and she couldn't really say that she fared any better.

"So, Laslow-san. Tell me more about this 'imposter' I've heard about", Hinoka said at length. "Subaki-san already told me that no-one seems to know much about him – but do you have any idea as to how long he's been controlling King Garon?"

Laslow chewed on his food, looking thoughtful.

"Hm... No-one really knows for certain. I did toss ideas around with Selena and Effie – the leaders of the other teams – while we were on the road, but, since none of us have been working for the royal family for long, this is mostly just guesswork. We know that Prince Leo remembers a different, kinder Garon. We also know that Princess Elise only ever knew the same Garon we knew – which makes us believe he must have become possessed sometime between the births of these two. Additionally, Princess Azura knew about the imposter – and she couldn't have found out about him while being in Hoshido. Princess Azura was kidnapped before Princess Elise was born. So it must have happened around that time."

"That makes sense", Hinoka agreed. "But how come she was the only one to come to this conclusion? Moreover, how did she do that? I mean, we did notice that Takumi-nii had started acting strangely, but no-one would have ever guessed possession as a possible cause."

"Honestly? I don't know. But, according to what I've heard, Princess Azura has always been a mysterious one – nobody knows where she and her mother came from, you know."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Late Queen Arete arrived many years ago in Windmire, little Azura in tow. King Garon, who had recently lost his first wife, Queen Katherina, married her. Azura is not a blood relative of King Garon – she's his step-daughter."

"I never knew", Hinoka breathed. "And no-one ever found out where they came from?"

"No. They refused to speak about it."

"Wait a minute!", Subaki chimed in. "You said that the imposter is from a place nobody knows, a cursed country whose name you mustn't utter. What if Queen Arete and Princess Azura came from the same place? It would explain why they never told anyone of their origins, and how Princess Azura came to know of the imposter!"

Laslow blinked, while Hinoka stared at Subaki open-mouthed.

"This – this actually makes sense", Laslow said slowly. "I'll discuss this theory with Prince Xander once we return – he was there when it all happened, and he might remember something that might help us figure this puzzle out."

"Agreed", Hinoka said. "We have to little information to go on, especially if you didn't witness any of those events. But it is an interesting theory."

"Indeed. Maybe we can question Princess Azura, too – even if she can't tell us where she came from, she could at least confirm if the imposter came from the same place as she did."

"Yes. Let's do that", Hinoka replied, feeling some of her usual determined nature returning.

"All right, then. Should you have any more questions, Hinoka-sama, I'd be more than happy to answer them. But for now, I think we should get going – we have a lot of ground to cover."

"Two more questions before we leave."

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you bring any wyverns?"

"Because we feared that you might spot them too easily. If I were on the run, I'd be on the lookout for enemy flyers. We figured that using ground troops would allow us to move stealthier."

"I see. Makes sense. Who taught you how to use Hoshidan suffixes?"

"Subaki-san did. I accidentally offended Hana-san by addressing her just by name – I had no idea this was considered rude in Hoshido. So I asked Subaki-san to teach me."

"I see. Well then, let's be off."

The men scrambled to their feet and began packing away their stuff. The Hoshidan soldiers swarmed Subaki, eager to find out more about the imposter and what had happened after their flight from the castle. Hinoka tuned them out as she mounted her pegasus, not really wishing to hear all that again.

The plateau was large enough to enable her pegasus to take off, and she took to the skies, determined to put everything behind herself for a while.

Subaki didn't join her, instead, he remained with the others. Hinoka guessed he wanted to make sure the two factions didn't end up killing each other on the road.

 _Once again, the future is filled with uncertainty – I am to be queen. How am I supposed to do that? I don't even know how to be a proper princess!_

However, Hinoka decided there and then that she wouldn't pass on the burden of the crown to Sakura – sweet little Sakura had already suffered enough. Hinoka would figure this out somehow.

* * *

 **A/N:**

So Hinoka's finally headed home.

A note on clothing: As a whole, I really liked the designs in Fates, especially those of some of the Hoshidans. However, what bothers me (and this is not just about Fates) is the distinct lack of trousers on most female characters that ride horses/pegasus/wyverns. Camilla's design, for example, is a joke. Now, one could argue that units like pegasus and draco knights don't need much armour as they are out of range of most enemies, and that too much armour might slow down their steeds. Fair enough. However, that does not excuse the lack of trousers. When I had my first riding lessons as a kid, I was wearing jeans and trainers since I didn't have proper equipment yet. I don't remember it very well, but I remember it being rather uncomfortable, and so I asked my mother to buy me some proper riding trousers soon. For those of you who don't know – riding trousers are fastened around the calves to keep them from moving up your legs due to friction, and the insides of the legs are reinforced with leather – nowadays, the entire inner part of the leg is made from leather, actually – to protect the rider's legs. If anyone were to sit in a saddle for an extended period of time wearing nothing, he would soon be very sore.

Welp, that's enough ranting for today. Hinoka's return home is going to lead to some interesting conversation and situations, so you can look forward to that.


	37. In Which There Are Stories

**A/N:**

Warning: It's so fluffy you're gonna die.

* * *

"... and as she cowered on the floor, crying, her tears turned into diamonds. The girl who had lost everything due to the cruelty of other people suddenly found herself the richest person around. So she packed her belongings and left the dreary village. She sold most of the diamonds, and bought herself a new house. However, despite her newfound wealth, she did not become cold-hearted or arrogant, remembering well what it was like to struggle to make ends meet. Until the day she died, she was always generous and ready to help anyone who was in need."

"What a lovely story", Sakura said softly.

"We tell these kind of stories to our children", Xander replied.

"Oh, we have those, too, though I've never heard one that mentioned diamonds before."

"Would you tell me a story?"

"Very well. Long ago, there lived a powerful sorcerer - "

Sakura stopped in mid-stride and narrowed her eyes at the dark grey clouds above them. The next moment, a droplet hit Xander's nose.

"Here we go", he stated.

"We should head inside", Sakura replied. "This is going to be a downpour."

They hurried towards the house as fast as Sakura's kimono allowed – as beautiful as it was, it seemed very impractical if you wanted to get anywhere fast.

The skies had been overcast all morning, and everyone had agreed that it would rain today. Despite that, Sakura and Xander had decided to take a walk through the gardens, as Xander felt that Sakura spent too much time indoors.

Sakura leapt onto the stepping stone and then onto the verandah before taking off her zori. Xander forewent the stepping stone and instead jumped directly onto the verandah. The next moment, it started to rain hard.

"Well, that was close", Xander observed.

"Indeed", Sakura replied. "Moments like this make me really glad I wear my hair short."

She shook her head, making a few droplets fly.

Xander chuckled.

"Indeed, short hair does have its advantages. Camilla tends to complain a lot whenever she has to dry hers."

"Ah, so that's why she pinned it up the other day."

"Did you – did you take a bath together?", Xander asked delicately – the thought of two strangers bathing together was still very odd to him.

"We did", Sakura replied as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "She had a lot of hair to pin up."

"I can imagine", Xander replied, amused.

"She seemed quite proud of it, too – she was rather pleased when I told her I liked it."

"Did you, now?"

"Un. You see, she caught me staring at her and - " Sakura broke off abruptly, a worried expression flashing across her face for a moment. "Anyway, so she wanted to know what I h-had found so interesting, a-and so we talked about hair for a while and, uh, that was it. Yes."

Xander frowned at that, alerted to the fact that something was amiss not just because of Sakura's obvious rambling, but also because her stuttering had returned.

However, when he searched her face in an attempt to find out what it was that she was, obviously, hiding, Sakura quickly averted her gaze, finding the floor to be particularly fascinating at this very moment.

His mind worked furiously to solve this mystery. Why would Sakura feel nervous admitting that she liked Camilla's hair? That she had admired it without Camilla noticing? And why was she so adamant to convince Xander that they hadn't spoken about anything else?

What did Camilla's hair have to do with him?

And then realisation dawned. Xander's eyes widened minutely as things suddenly made sense.

"It's the curls, isn't it", he said calmly. "You don't see them around here very often, do you... You were admiring _my_ curls back then."

Sakura was, apparently, not a good actor or liar, and, instead of trying to talk her way out of this, she instead hid her face in her hands with a groan.

"This is so embarrassing – you weren't s-supposed to find out!", she wailed.

Xander carefully took hold of her wrists and pulled them away from her face. She was blushing quite hard, and Xander thought it was incredibly cute.

"I don't mind", he said earnestly. "To tell you the truth, it's kind of a relief to finally understand what it was that you were doing."

"I – I was careless and let something slip to your sister", Sakura whispered. "She made me tell her. I'm so sorry."

Xander squeezed her hands.

"I'm not angry."

"It's just – I never told anyone else, but – I still wanted to talk about it with _someone_ , so telling her was a bit of a relief... Gods, I feel so bad about this..."

"Don't. I don't mind Camilla knowing. Please, don't be upset about this."

"All right. Sorry."

"Stop apologising so much."

"I – I'll try."

"Good."

Both of them suddenly seemed to be realising that Xander was still holding her hands, and he quickly let go, clasping his hands behind his back.

"My apologies."

"It's all right."

"I am glad to see that you and Camilla seem to be working things out, though", Xander said in an attempt to dispel the awkward mood.

"I was honestly a bit surprised by how quickly she came around", Sakura replied thoughtfully. "Not that I mind, of course. But – when I told her what had happened that day, she was very understanding – it wasn't particularly easy for me to talk about all of it."

"Because I frightened you so much that day."

"Y-yes."

"I am terribly sorry for that - "

"No, don't. The whole thing was _my_ fault. I should have known better. A-anyway, your sister actually suggested that I should grow my hair longer."

"Why?"

"Well, because I'm crown princess now, and she felt that I should try to look more grown-up."

Xander frowned.

"I don't think you need to change. Not unless you want to, that is."

"Thanks. I'm merely considering it at the moment."

"I see."

They lapsed into silence after that, and Xander alternated between watching Sakura and the dripping gardens, not really wanting to stare at her all the time. It would certainly make her uncomfortable, and him most likely appear like a creep.

"Um – would you like to stay out here for a bit longer?", Sakura asked after a while. "I could ask the servants to bring us some tea."

"That would be wonderful. I really like how the air smells at the moment."

Sakura smiled.

"The smell of rain-soaked earth is the best in the world."

She vanished into the house then, but returned soon afterwards.

They made themselves at home on the verandah – Xander had gotten better at sitting like that, though he still couldn't sit still for very long.

It didn't take long for the tea to arrive. Sakura first poured him a cup, then herself, before returning to watching the rain.

"It's so strange that you don't add milk to your tea", Xander observed.

"Milk? We don't use milk at all!"

"Really? Now that you mention it, I don't recall ever seeing anything made from milk during the meals, but I had thought that this was simply related to those particular dishes."

"I've never heard of anyone using milk for cooking ever before", Sakura replied. "You Nohrians have some very strange habits."

"Hah! I could say the same about you Hoshidans. Oh, by the way, you still owe me your story."

"Oh, right. Long ago, there lived a powerful sorcerer who had studied every kind of magic in the world. He had made himself a name as a wandering sage who would drive off monsters, bandits and the like. One day he came by a village that was being plagued by a tengu living in the mountains nearby – a tengu is a mythical creature, I can show you pictures of what it is supposed to look like later, if you like."

"I would appreciate it."

"Most tengu were considered guardians rather than foes, however, this one had turned violent. So the sorcerer set out to confront it. The tengu tried to trick the sorcerer by assuming different shapes – most of them beautiful women – but the sorcerer wasn't fooled. In the end, he revealed the tengu's true form, and took his face for himself before destroying him for good. He then fashioned the face into a mask he would wear from this day on, as a trophy and to instil fear in the hearts of his enemies. It is the reason basara wear these kind of masks to this day."

"What a fascinating story. I assume those creatures don't exist?"

"I've never met anyone who ever saw one", Sakura replied. "No-one really knows where the inspiration for the tengu came from, though. These stories are very old."

"I remember seeing those masks you spoke of – to imagine that they were inspired by a mythical creature's actual face..."

Sakura chuckled, however, she sobered almost immediately.

"Is something the matter?", Xander asked, somewhat surprised by her sudden change in mood.

"No, no, it's just – I – I miss Hinoka-onee. I really want to talk to her, about so many things – you see, sometimes, I feel so _alone_... Don't get me wrong, I r-really appreciate all of the support you and your siblings have given me, but - "

"We're not your family. I know. We can't replace them, even if we wished to. Of course you want your sister back."

"I hate to sound so ungrateful... But – what if they don't find her?"

"They will. Don't worry. She'll be back before you know it."

"But that means you'll be leaving, doesn't it."

"Yes. I need to return home to my own kingdom – truth be told, I am a bit worried about what might be going on there with me gone for so long."

Sakura bit her lip.

"I know I'm being selfish, but – I'll miss talking to you. And Princess Elise. Studying with Prince Leo. I think – I think I might even miss Princess Camilla."

"It doesn't have to be farewell", Xander replied, not really liking where this conversation was headed. "We might see each other again."

"I don't see how – Hinoka-onee will be busy learning how to be a queen. You will be busy trying to improve the situation in Nohr. Our countries still hate each other. How is this supposed to work out?"

Xander was silent for a bit as he desperately tried to come up with a good reason that didn't include Sakura becoming his wife.

"If I manage to form an alliance with your sister, I would like for us to meet every once in a while", he said at length. "Have a permanent ambassador in each other's capital city, too, but I think it would be important for me and your sister to meet and talk ourselves. If we want this alliance to work, we'll have to make an effort. We can't just go back to living side-by-side, as we have before. Establishing trade between our countries won't be enough. We'll also have to find a way to involve the noble houses and, if we can, the commoners – an alliance just between our two houses won't mean much."

Sakura gave this some thought.

"That – actually makes sense. However – we don't know if Hinoka-onee will agree to an alliance."

"True – but I do not believe that she would be foolish enough to reject my offer. Without an alliance, my children or grandchildren might just decide to go to war again. A treaty would, at the very least, make that more difficult."

"I hadn't thought of that. I think I should start writing another list."

"Are you in favour of an alliance, then?"

"Sure. It's the smart thing to do. Especially knowing that you all are really nice people."

"I am glad you think that way. Does that mean you will attempt to persuade your sister?"

"I'll be listing the advantages an alliance might bring. Such as not having to fear another invasion... We – we couldn't defend ourselves against another attack, I fear."

"That's possible. Your side sustained more heavy losses. Being a military person, I am certain your sister will understand the gravity of that, at least, even if she is not well-versed in politics."

"And that's precisely why I'm going to write a list", Sakura replied. "So I can tell her about all the things she might not think about."

"That's good", Xander replied. "I am certain you will be a big asset to her."

"Th-thanks. I still feel so insecure about all of this, so hearing you say these kind of things really helps."

Xander chuckled.

"Anytime."

* * *

 **A/N:**

So this is me trying to write my own fairy tales. I didn't really feel like coming up with a beginning for Xander's story, so I just jumped right into the middle of it. Sakura's story is loosely based on the tengu from Japanese mythology, though I took some liberties with its abilities. Also, the thing with the masks was not directly inspired by LoZ, GoT, Avatar or any similar story were faces are stolen/turned into masks, I simply tried to figure out a reason for the basara to be wearing these kind of masks.

The part where Xander guesses the reason for Sakura's actions in Chapter 12 was added on a whim – it hadn't been part of my original draft, but it gave me the opportunity to write some more Xander/Sakura fluff.

Concerning tea, I decided to have the Nohrians take a more British approach and add milk. Incidentally, my grandmother introduced this to her family after having made trips to England and the US (she got a stipend after WWII ended). Everyone on my father's side, including me and my brothers, drink tea with milk. People on my mother's side don't (most of them prefer coffee anyway) and whenever we try out a new kind of tea, my brother's soon-to-be wife always says she'll tell us what it tastes like in five minutes.

 **Glossary:**

tengu – heavenly dog; a mythical creature of Chinese origin. Despite their name, tengu are usually depicted as bird-like or humanoids with a long nose (which is representing the beak). They were known to kidnap monks and possess people, in particular women.


	38. In Which There Is Change

**A/N:**

Here's another one, since I'm feeling generous. This one is even longer than the last.

* * *

Hinoka had been surprised to find that her new travelling companions weren't as bad as she had expected them to be.

Her experiences with Nohrians soldiers were very limited, since they hadn't been able to cross Mikoto's barrier until it had collapsed upon her death – well, they had been able to cross it, but were useless as fighters afterwards, which was why the Nohrians had stopped sending their regular troops as soon as they had figured that out. Instead, they had sent the hideous faceless, monsters hell-bent on wreaking havoc and killing whatever was in front of them.

Be that as it may, Hinoka had kept her expectations low, and had been pleasantly sur prised. The Nohrians were well-mannered and civil, and they had never acted as if they owned the place or were the great, mighty conquerors.

Laslow in particular had made sure to always be available whenever Hinoka had wished it. They mostly talked about things of little consequence, and Hinoka had tried to glean an understanding of what kind of person he was. Apart from his shyness, she hadn't really been able to detect any flaws in his character. He seemed to be a genuinely nice person with a habit of trying to take girls out for tea.

Hinoka actually thought that was pretty hilarious, especially considering that he had tried asking _her_ out, too, just that there weren't any tea shops around, which was why he would brew some tea himself.

Once they had reached the foothills, they had been met by the other two teams, and Hinoka had been introduced to Selena and Effie. Both Yukimura and Hana were exceedingly glad to see that Hinoka was, in fact, safe.

As they continued onwards, these two told Hinoka their view of things, giving her more insight into everything that had happened.

"I estimate we should reach the capital today", Yukimura said one morning.

"I see", Laslow replied. "Hinoka-sama, I would ask that you approach the city with us, on foot, so to say."

"Why?"

"Because we don't know what the current situation is like. If you stay with us, we can ascertain that you reach the castle safely. If you go on your own, you might be attacked. Or not. But I'd not risk it."

"Very well. Then I'd like to use this opportunity to ask you to tell me more about the Nohrian royals and their retainers. I'd like to know what I'll be facing."

"As you wish. Prince Xander is a very stern and strict person, who does not tolerate any kind of wrongdoings – which was why he was bothered by what happened at Fort Jinya so much. He's one to administer justice quickly whenever necessary. He's also just, loyal and a good older brother – he cares greatly for his siblings, and generally tends to look out for the ones he perceives as weaker or less experienced.  
Princess Camilla is unpredictable. She can be sweet one moment and lethal the next, but I do believe she has a good heart."

"She does", Selena agreed. "She just doesn't show it to anyone. You don't wanna get on her bad side, though. Things get ugly if you do."

"I have no trouble believing that", Hinoka replied.

"Prince Leo is level-headed and cynical, but can be surprisingly observant", Laslow continued. "He tends to be very blunt at times, which is off-putting to some people. Sometimes, I have suspected that he does it on purpose.  
"Princess Elise, the youngest, is a sweetheart. Her primary function is that of a healer – she's the only one who can heal – and she's always eager to help others, and spread joy and laughter."

"I'm originally from the slums in Windmire", Effie said. "Princess Elise befriended me, and eventually offered me a job as her retainer. I would have never made it anywhere in life if it hadn't been for her."

"As for the remaining retainers", Laslow said, "Prince Xander's other retainer is Peri - "

"Who is insane", Selena cut in. "No-one really understands why Prince Xander keeps her around."

"She is an excellent cook", Laslow argued.

"Insane? How so?", Hinoka asked, narrowing her eyes.

"She has a habit of killing her servants", Selena replied. "As a result, people didn't want to work for her father, but, ever since she's become a royal retainer, the palace staff has to wait on her."

"Prince Xander did warn her not to decimate his staff, though, and told her to instead sate her bloodlust on the battlefield."

"Charming", Hinoka said dryly.

"Ah, my apologies, that was tactless of me."

"Apology accepted. Go on."

"Thank you. Selena's counterpart is Beruka, a former assassin. Word has it that she was hired to kill Princess Camilla, and that the princess offered her more money than the other person would pay her if she worked for her instead. Beruka certainly was in only for the money at first, but we do believe she's grown loyal to Princess Camilla."

"That's certainly an interesting story."

"Prince Leo's retainers are Odin and Niles – Odin, Selena and I are friends who became retainers around the same time. Odin – he's odd, but a nice guy. He has a strange way of talking and always holds out his hand like so, because he swears that his pose somehow gives him more power. Prince Leo feared that his strange way of talking might drive you up the wall, so he didn't volunteer him for this mission.  
"Niles – well, just like Beruka and Effie, he hails from the slums, but he is a lot more – unrefined than these two. He likes to antagonise people, especially the ones who have had everything in live handed to them on a silver platter. Before he became a retainer, Niles was a thief and did whatever he had to in order to stay alive. One day, the gang he worked for broke into the castle. When they were caught by Prince Leo, they left Niles as a scapegoat, and made a run for it."

"Cowards", Hinoka growled.

"It was Niles' lucky break", Laslow replied. "Instead of begging for his life, he begged for death, which gave Prince Leo pause – he then decided to spare Niles and make him his retainer instead. It paid off – Niles is very loyal to Prince Leo."

"We don't really know what happened to him during his time in the slums", Selena said darkly. "But it damn sure wasn't pretty."

Hinoka made no reply to that – there were no slums in Hoshido, and no real poverty to speak of – however, she had a feeling that it might be better not to mention that.

"Princess Elise's second retainer is Arthur, who is the unluckiest person in the world", Selena went on. "I heard he once got himself lit on fire during a fire drill. Missions he participates in usually end in disaster, which is why he wasn't volunteered, either. He's still a rather cheerful kind of person, I guess. And a nice guy.  
"So, to sum it all up – stay away from Peri and Niles. Talk to Odin only if you're into weird and crazy magical stuff, and approach Arthur at your own risk."

"I see. Thank you for telling me."

"Not at all", Laslow replied.

"Whatever", Selena said dismissively.

Shortly after lunch, the capital finally appeared on the horizon. The closer they go, the faster Hinoka's heart was beating, until she feared that it might jump out of her chest at any given moment.

"Halt!", Laslow called once they were close to the outskirts. "I need a fast rider."

A middle-aged woman moved her horse to the front.

"Ride hard for the castle and announce our impending arrival – make sure you get the message to Prince Xander first. You need not return to us – ask Prince Xander to dismiss you."

"Understood."

The woman dug her heels into the flanks of her steed, and was soon out of sight.

"All right, then, let's go."

Hinoka was surprised by the lack of enemy soldiers in the streets – she would have expected the Nohrians to patrol the area. Instead the streets were bustling as usual, though people soon stopped when they noticed their procession.

For most part, their reactions were joyful, some even called her name. All in all, the trip through the city was uneventful, and seeing her people cheer actually gave Hinoka a small amount of joy.

Finally, they filed through the castle gates and into the courtyard. Hinoka dismounted quickly and handed the reins to Subaki. Turning around to face the entrance, she stopped dead.

Sakura was there, wearing one of her pretty kimono, flanked by Xander and Leo. The others were there, as well, only Azura was missing.

However, Hinoka only had eyes for her sister. Sakura's eyes were huge, and she looked as if she was on the verge of tears.

Xander leaned in to give Sakura a nudge, startling her from her trance. She quickly gathered her wits and stepped down from the verandah, approaching Hinoka at a measured, graceful pace.

"Welcome home, Hinoka-onee", she said with a slight smile and a bow once she had reached her.

Sakura had always been a perfect princess in every regard, but Hinoka didn't care for formalities at that very moment – taking a step forward, she wrapped her arms around her little sister and pulled her into a hug, squeezing her eyes shut.

Sakura froze momentarily before carefully hugging her back, almost as if she wasn't sure if this was even permitted. However, when she uttered a soft "ow", Hinoka realised she might have hugged her a bit too hard.

"Sorry", Hinoka muttered, loosening her grip and opening her eyes – only to find Prince Xander standing just a few feet away.

She quickly let go of Sakura, pulling her to the side while straightening her spine. She wouldn't show any weakness to that man.

Her jaw set, she quickly schooled her expression into a mask of calmness.

Sakura slipped her hand into Hinoka's.

"Princess Hinoka."

Xander slightly inclined his head in greeting.

"I am glad to see you made it home safely. I apologise on behalf of my family for having forced you into exile, but it was the only way we could think of to keep you safe. I regret that I was not able to do the same for your brothers."

Hinoka briefly closed her eyes, unable to stop herself from reacting.

"I appreciate that you tried, from what I've been told. And I thank you for keeping Sakura safe."

"It was the least I could do. I hated the fact that I was unable to prevent the massacre at Fort Jinya – going up against the imposter would have been suicide. I still took quite a risk by placing her under my protection – the imposter could have been angered by this."

"I see."

"Wait, what are you talking about?", Sakura asked, confused. "You were protecting me from the imposter?"

"Not as such", Xander replied hesitantly. "I placed you under my personal protection while you were our prisoner, to make certain no-one would attempt to harm you. I did not do the same for your companions because I didn't want to push my luck. I could argue that keeping you alive and well had strategic benefits. I could not do the same in their case."

"I never knew", Sakura whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hinoka lifted a brow. Sakura was acting very odd.

"Because, knowing you as I do, you surely would have found a way to somehow blame yourself, or feel guilty because I took a risk on your behalf."

"But – that way, I could have never thanked you."

"I don't need your thanks for being a decent human being. I don't need your thanks for treating you with decency or courtesy. I don't need your thanks for doing the right thing."

"Still, thank you."

Xander looked exasperated.

Hinoka cleared her throat, making them return from whatever little world they had been inhabiting just now.

"I would like to know what's going to happen now", she said, fixing Xander with a penetrating stare.

"For now, I suggest you and your men go and rest up. You should also spend some time with your sister, she was quite anxious to have you back. And I assume you have a lot to talk about."

"I – guess that's true."

"There are some things I would like to discuss with you, but they can wait."

"I'll need to brief you on everything that's been happening!", Sakura said, moving to stand in front of Hinoka and taking her hands. "I wrote it all down. Oh!"

Spinning on the spot, she turned around to face Xander.

"I have no idea how exactly this is going to work now – am I still regent until Hinoka-onee's coronation? Or do I stop being regent now, since she's returned?"

Xander frowned, but he seemed more thoughtful than angry.

"I would say that it would make more sense for you to remain regent until the coronation, because Hoshido wouldn't have a legitimated ruler otherwise. That way, you can just officially hand your duties over after the coronation. Then again, you might have some kind of special legislation on that, so you should check, just to be on the safe side."

"I'll do that."

Hinoka frowned. The way these two were interacting with each other was bothering her – Sakura hadn't been stammering once while talking to Xander, she hadn't seemed shy or insecure, either – and Xander was someone who, according to Hinoka's certain knowledge, should be able to scare Sakura witless simply by being there.

So why was she so much at ease around him? An enemy?

"Wait, slow down. Sakura, you're regent?"

"Un", Sakura replied. "Prince Xander appointed me the day after – after everything. I've been working together with the councillors and court officials to run the country, and I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it."

"Princess Sakura, please stop selling yourself short", Xander said, sounding very exasperated this time. "You did a marvellous job, and you should be proud of yourself."

Completely caught off guard by that remark, Hinoka looked from Xander to Sakura.

"You've changed, imoto", she said quietly.

"You were gone for a while", Sakura replied just as quietly. "A lot has happened since."

"I'm sorry you had to carry this burden all by yourself."

"It's not your fault. I think – being on my own forced me to grow. And I wasn't completely alone. Prince Xander taught me lots of helpful things."

"I – see."

"Yukimura-san, Hana, Subaki – I'm so glad you're back", Sakura said. "Thank you for bringing Hinoka-onee back safely."

"Not at all", Subaki replied.

"You should all go and rest, too. I won't require any of your services today."

The soldiers bowed and took their leave.

"It's strange seeing you give orders like that", Hinoka observed.

"It's even stranger to think that I'll be regent in your stead", Sakura replied. "Now come. You must be tired, too."

She took Hinoka's hand again and started leading her towards the house.

"Will you be at dinner?", Xander asked.

"I – I'm not sure. Perhaps?"

"I understand."

As they approached the entrance, Hinoka took notice of the expressions Xander's siblings were wearing – Elise was smiling, while Camilla's gaze was calculating, if not hostile. Leo looked disinterested, and Kamui – Kamui only held Hinoka's gaze briefly before looking away, but Hinoka detected guilt, shame and pain.

She clenched her jaw to keep herself from saying something nasty to the traitor, and allowed Sakura to usher her inside.

Once they were out of sight, however, Hinoka pulled Sakura to a halt.

"What exactly is going on here? Why are you so much at ease around Prince Xander? I take him to be the kind of person who could frighten you with a mere glance. Did they brainwash you or something?"

"What? No! Nothing of the sort! I'll tell you everything once we get to the baths, all right?"

"Fine."

Sakura instructed a servant in passing to notify their attendants. The baths were empty at this time of the day, and the sisters quickly undressed – Hinoka was very eager to wash herself properly after all those days on the run.

Once they were sufficiently clean, they climbed into the hot springs. Hinoka leaned back against the rocks, closing her eyes.

"Ah, this is heaven", she sighed.

Sakura chuckled.

"We can stay as long as you like. As soon as Prince Xander told me you were back, I cancelled all appointments for today. We have the whole afternoon just to ourselves."

"How are you holding up? And don't you dare gloss things over to spare me."

"I'm – doing fine, I guess. Some days are better than others. I really missed having Hana by my side, but – the Nohrians have been keeping me company."

"Is that so? Are you that chummy with all of them, or just with Prince Xander?"

"Could you stop accusing me of – of whatever it is that you are accusing me?", Sakura exclaimed. "You have no idea what I went through! I might not even be here any more had Prince Xander and Princess Elise not made an effort to reach out to me, to drag me out of my shell! I might have stayed in my rooms and wasted away!"

Hinoka stared at Sakura, her mouth agape. She had known that Sakura would snap when pushed too far – Asama in particular was good at that – but it still surprised her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – but this is just so weird for me. I come home and you seem to be best friends with Prince Xander, of all people! It's like you're a completely different person."

"Because I am", Sakura replied quietly. "The Sakura you knew is dead. I can never go back to being her."

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan", Hinoka whispered. "I wish I could have spared you all that – preserved your innocence..."

"What's done is done. And – this might sound strange, but it hasn't been all bad. Not only did I become more confident thanks to Prince Xander and Princess Elise, but I also learned so much. Also, the reason I am no longer frightened of them is that I found out that they are actually nice people, even Prince Leo and Princess Camilla."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well", Sakura said, shifting so she could wrap her arms around her knees and rest her chin on top of them, "when I first became their prisoner, I was terribly frightened. The Nohrians seemed like cruel, brutal people to me, and their crown prince had just broken his promise. Did you ever meet King Garon?"

"No."

"He was fearsome. As were his two henchmen – that axe-wielding brute and that evil-looking mage. I was so glad they stayed away from me."

"Where they involved in the massacre?"

"The axe-fighter was. He led the attack."

"I see. So then – what made you change your mind about them? Garon's children, I mean."

"Princess Elise was the first to try and befriend me. She brought me food and blankets, making a point to never bring her tome whenever she visited, and she also tried to talk to me. I never said a word to her, and I refused the blankets at first – not wanting to accept pity from an enemy."

"Understandable. Still, I'm surprised she did all that."

"She is a genuinely good and caring person, I was just too scared to realise it at first. I had no idea what they were planning on doing with me, so I was terrified of doing or saying something that might upset them. Princess Elise later told me she was actually unhappy about the fact that I was scared of her.  
"When I was brought to the castle by Princess Elise, I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought that they might execute me, or use me as a hostage – instead, they freed me – not that I realised that right away – and Prince Xander apologised for what had happened at Fort Jinya. I had already gathered from some of the soldiers that he would have been unable to stop the imposter's men, and many of them were angry that they – and the imposter – had besmirched Prince Xander's honour like that. I accepted his apology – I didn't know if he was really being sincere, but I thought it better not to make him believe I was holding a grudge against him."

"Smart move."

"Heh. Anyway, Yukimura-san, Hana and Subaki arrived shortly after that, and Prince Xander told us that he had no desire to rule Hoshido himself, but instead wanted to bring you back so you could become queen, also telling us about the imposter. Yukimura-san didn't believe him, and Hana was sceptical, too. In the end, however, I insisted that they help search for you, fearing that you might otherwise attack the search parties or start another war."

"Subaki-san said the same thing."

"Anyway, I didn't really like the idea of having to part with them again so soon, but figured that Prince Xander was right. Nothing much else happened that day, but the next morning, Prince Xander came to see me and told me that he would like me to assume the position of regent until your return. I was very much surprised by that, but I think Prince Xander was trying to stress really hard that he wanted Hoshido to remain an independent nation. I accepted the position. He also asked me to eat with them – he wanted me to see that they were not the monsters I thought them to be, and, well, it worked, eventually. Both Prince Xander and Princess Elise started seeing me more often, and I quickly came to like Elise – we have a lot in common, I think, though she is a bit – lively. She plays an instrument, too, and we started playing music for the others – we'll have a recital tonight, incidentally, and you are very welcome to join us."

"Ah – I'll think about it."

"My relationship with Prince Xander improved only slowly, since I was still very much scared of him, but on occasion, I could notice something hidden underneath his frowns and dark looks. In hindsight, I realised that he had been trying to be nice, to befriend me, from the start, but I had been too frightened of him to notice. One day, I decided I wanted to change – I wanted to grow more self-confident, more sure of myself – so I went and talked to Prince Xander."

"Why to him, of all people?"

"Because he was so scary, and I figured that if I could muster the courage to talk to him, I'd be able to talk to anyone."

"Makes sense."

"I kinda went about it in a really awkward way, and for a moment, I feared he'd not be willing to help me – but he was. That's when he started opening up to me, you see. He told me a few things about him and his siblings I would have never guessed, and it made me less frightened of them. He was willing to help me improve, and ever since then, we've been seeing each other more often. I've only recently started to get to know Prince Leo and Princess Camilla better – we don't really have that much in common, you see."

"Hm. And the Nohrians? What have they been up to?"

"I don't really know. They never interfered with my decisions or duties as regent, and never really showed an interest in Hoshidan politics – except for that one time."

"What happened?", Hinoka asked, alarmed by the look on Sakura's face.

"A noble tried to kill Kamui. Tried to sneak into her room during the night."

"What?!", Hinoka exclaimed.

"She wasn't hurt. The Nohrians put up wards during the night, you see, so they caught him in time. I was woken by one of the Nohrian retainers and headed over to the guest wing. I had the man arrested and had him stand trial the next day."

"And?"

"My advisors all agreed that we had to take drastic measures, to show the Nohrians we were not fooling around, and to deter others from doing the same thing. I – had him executed."

"That must have been hard for you."

"It was. But the alternative was to provoke more conflicts – Prince Xander admitted that he couldn't predict how he'd have reacted had the attempt been successful. But, despite everything, he was still being very nice to me – none of them blamed the attempt on me, they all realised that I had nothing to do with it."

"Well, you were lucky there – pretty sure they would have reacted differently, had they thought you responsible."

"Indeed... Prince Xander even felt sorry about me being burdened with such a decision."

"Curious. You didn't mention speaking to Kamui, though."

"I haven't, really – but she did say that she wants to talk to the two of us, to explain her reasons for making the choices she did. Something I've wanted to ask her for a while now."

"I see. Well, I'm very curious to hear her reasons, too. Say, where is Azura? There are some things I must ask her, too."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's right, you couldn't know..."

"Know what? What happened?"

"Azura – vanished", Sakura replied quietly. "No-one saw her leave the throne room after the fighting was over, or found a trace of her outside of it. Prince Xander and I have both tried to find out where she went, but we found nothing. Kamui feared that this curse might be at work here... We still aren't any closer to finding out what happened, but – it's been weeks. We – we've agreed to declare her dead."

"No", Hinoka whispered, her head bowed. "How? I mean, I'm still angry at her for choosing Nohr, but – I would have liked to hear her side of the story regardless."

"Same here... but I fear we will never know."

"Damn. This war completely tore our family apart."

"Yes... sometimes, when we ate together, I envied them. Such an ugly feeling – they still had each other. They had Kamui. And I – had no-one, because you were out there somewhere in the wilderness, with only a handful of men... It made me so angry. So very, very angry..."

"That is a natural part of grieving and also a result of trauma", Hinoka replied. "You shouldn't feel bad about it."

"Do you know what the worst thing about having to sentence that man to death was?"

"The one who tried to kill Kamui?"

"Un. It was that he was right. Not in a legal sense, but from a moral point of view. He did it for me. For mother. For Ryoma, for Takumi, and all the others whose names we will never learn. We did nothing to deserve this invasion, nothing to deserve so much death and suffering. It's just so unfair. And the fact that Xander and the others are aware of it doesn't really make it better."

"Do you think they are sincere? Does he really intend for Hoshido to remain a sovereign nation?"

"I do believe so. Nothing I have seen so far has given me reason to doubt Prince Xander's words. He wants an alliance, too."

"An alliance. Well. Did you discuss any details yet?"

"Not in any official capacity, though we did discuss the alliance in general. I didn't really feel confident enough to negotiate something like this, and Prince Xander assumed that he would probably be able to make me agree to anything."

"I hate to admit this, but the fact that he didn't take advantage of this speaks for him."

"It does, doesn't it."

"Say... I don't mean to alarm you or anything, but – do you think it likely they'll drag you off to Nohr?"

"Drag me off to Nohr? Why?"

"As a hostage."

"Oh! Um. I hadn't really considered that a possibility, mostly because they didn't hold me hostage so far, but instead allowed me to rule Hoshido. Besides, I don't think Prince Xander is the kind of person to do something like that."

"I see. I'm not saying it's a likely thing to happen – but I wanted you to know that it is a possibility. 'Alliance' sounds nice and all, but after a war, it's usually the winner who dictates the terms, and the loser has to accept them. No matter what. If they decided to take you – I'd fight them, of course, but I don't think I could stop them."

Sakura frowned.

"If – if they should truly decide to take me with them, I don't want you to fight them. I don't want you to get hurt for my sake – I'd go with them willingly, if it meant peace."

"Sakura - "

"Hinoka, listen – our situation is not good. We are dependant on Nohr's good-will – if we anger them, we're done for. I know them, and I'm not scared of them. Not any more. If I truly had to leave to keep the peace – I'd at least feel like I've accomplished something."

Hinoka scrambled to her feet and made her way over to Sakura to hug her fiercely.

"Sakura! Don't talk like that! I don't want to lose you!"

"I don't want to lose you either, onee-chan. But – I still think it's not a very realistic scenario. I just want to prepare for the eventuality. Don't fight a losing battle just for me – especially if it meant placing me over Hoshido. Your reputation might suffer for it. Besides, living in Nohr can't be that bad."

"You've grown strong, Sakura. I'll do everything I can to keep you in Hoshido. But first, I guess, we should find out what it is that Prince Xander actually wants."

"True. So, until we know, don't worry about it too much, all right?"

"All right."

* * *

 **A/N:**

A note on travelling: Since I'm very bad a calculating things in general, I have absolutely no idea how long it would take Hinoka and her men/her pursuers to get anywhere, especially since the map doesn't tell us how far apart different places are. Therefore, I've decided that Hinoka's scenes happen on their own timeline – since they aren't dependant on stuff happening in the capital, you could just place them wherever you want on the other timeline.

So, Hinoka's finally back home. While she doesn't suspect Xander to be in love with Sakura (or the other way round), she couldn't help but noticing how out of character Sakura was acting. Sakura had weeks of growth while Hinoka was out of the loop, and had no idea what was going on.

Their discussion about the Nohrians potentially using Sakura as a hostage was added on a whim – for Hinoka, it's not an unlikely scenario, though, since she doesn't know Xander, or his siblings. She is, at the moment, terrified of the idea of losing Sakura, which will make things very interesting once Xander approaches her with his request to be allowed to marry Sakura...

And yes, in my mind's eye, Laslow invites Hinoka for tea, leads her over to a "café" and serves her tea. Just for the sheer fun of it.

Also, I assume that, it being a small army camp in the Deeprealm, the contents of the support conversations tend to become common knowledge, which is why the three retainers present know some things about the others. I also like to think that Beruka eventually grew loyal to Camilla.

 **Glossary:**

imoto – younger sister


	39. In Which Sakura Renews an Offer

"Please excuse my tardiness", Sakura said as she took her seat at the dining table.

"Not at all", Xander replied. "I imagine you had a lot to talk about."

"Un. Though there is another reason, too – I made some changes to tonight's program. Princesses Elise, if that's all right with you, I'd like to perform a few songs solo."

"Sure, no problem. Is this for your sister?"

"Yes. I – I think she feels a bit – hm, I can't quite put it into words. But she was surprised by our interactions earlier, she expected me to be thoroughly frightened by you, Prince Xander."

"Well, you were, once."

"True. Anyway – I think I should better tell you, because I have a feeling she might bring this up – she thought that you had brainwashed me."

"Did she, now?"

"Please don't be cross with her – the way I'm acting must seem very bizarre to her. At times, I have difficulties believing it myself – I mean, that this is actually me."

"Actually, that's not too far-fetched", Kamui said in between bites. "It's what happened to me, after all."

"You were b-brainwashed?", Sakura asked, aghast.

"Well – I'm not sure 'brainwashed' is the right term. But someone sealed away all of my memories of my life in Hoshido, which is why I believed myself to be a Nohrian princess all my life. I've only started regaining glimpses of my past – I remember the attack in Cheve. Father – he died protecting me."

"I n-never knew", Sakura replied quietly.

"Seems like all I can do is cause your family misfortune", Kamui said heavily. "It started even before I ever chose a side."

"Do you know who sealed your memories away?", Xander asked.

"No, I can't remember that part – does that mean you didn't know?"

"We knew you couldn't remember your past, that you'd lost part or all of your previous memories. But we didn't know the cause. It could have been trauma, for all we knew."

"I see."

"Darling, if you ever should remember, do tell me", Camilla said. "I would happily kill that person for you, if he is still alive. Maybe have him reverse the spell first."

"I am – touched, Camilla, but – why?"

"Let's assume this was already the imposter at work here, since all this 'lure King Sumeragi into a trap and kidnap his daughter' doesn't really fit father's character at all. Not only did this monster kill your father and kidnap you, but he also had your memories of your family erased so he could turn you into a weapon to be used against them. Such a perfidious plan. We are certain you were kept isolated in the Northern Fortress so you wouldn't learn of your Hoshidan heritage. We were not allowed to speak of it. I bet that monster was planning on using you to further the conflict between our countries, just as he did with poor Prince Takumi. Just because we were unable to stop him at the time doesn't mean we were blind to how cruel that was."

"I see", Kamui replied quietly.

"Um – didn't mother suggest sitting on the throne might help you regain your memories?", Sakura asked. "I mean, if it w-worked for the imposter, it should work for you, too..."

"She did", Kamui replied. "I never took her up on the offer, though."

"Well... you still c-could."

"You want me to sit on the throne?"

"I am offering it. H-however, you should m-make sure this is what you truly w-want beforehand."

"Why?"

"W-well, you obviously struggle with a lot of r-regrets and grief. Releasing your memories might only cause you m-more pain."

Kamui drew herself up.

"I never knew you could be so perceptive", she said quietly.

"I am a healer, you know. P-part of the job. Though I often h-have difficulties communicating my findings d-due to my shyness."

"I see. Well, you might be right – I'd certainly like to think this over. But – are you sure you want to do this? What would the people say if I sat on the throne?"

"I am still regent", Sakura replied. "My word is law. B-besides, the people need not know. I'm sure we would find a way to m-make this work."

"I see. Well, thank you for the offer."

"Not at all. I c-can't really understand what it must be like for you, but I imagine it must be hard..."

"It is. I'd love to have more memories of our parents, and you and Ryoma and Takumi and Hinoka... Right now, there are just some blurry images, for most part. I can only see bits and pieces. It's very frustrating."

"W-well, let me know what you decide – though you should keep in mind that you w-would have to ask Hinoka-onee for permission once she becomes queen. And I don't know how she f-feels about you."

"I see. Still, thank you. Even if it shouldn't work out, or I should decide against doing it, I still value the effort you made. You didn't have to."

"I know. It just felt l-like the right thing to do."

Kamui smiled at that, though it was a sad smile.

"I sometimes feel the world doesn't deserve people like you..."

Sakura felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"D-don't say silly things like that", she protested.

"Why not? It's the truth."

"You m-make it sound as if I were perfect. I'm not."

"Maybe so, but I think you get as close as anyone can. And don't say it isn't so. We all agree on that, I'm afraid."

The others nodded, and Sakura found herself forced to stop arguing against them. Though she still felt that she didn't deserve such praise. She was by far not as pure-hearted as they thought her to be.


	40. In Which Hinoka Feels Lost

**A/N:**

This one took forever, and I am not 100% happy with the title, either. Anyway, here it is!

* * *

Hinoka was surprised to see how many people had gathered in the White Lotus Hall – and not just Hoshidans. There were Nohrians, too – Hinoka spotted Laslow and Selena among them, along with a blond mage. Hinoka guessed he might be Odin.

This was her first appearance as queen-to-be – there hadn't been a public announcement of her return yet.

Hinoka tried her best to move as gracefully as possible, profoundly feeling the lack of a proper education on such things. She hated wearing kimono, but, seeing as she was going to be queen, this was going to be expected of her.

The people bowed as she passed them, some of them smiling. Word of her return had, apparently, spread, but then again, this shouldn't really surprise her.

Once she had made her way to the front of the hall, where her family had always sat during performances, she noticed with dismay that the Nohrian royals were there already, chatting amongst each other. Hinoka had just decided to go sit as far away from them as she could when Kamui looked up, spotted her, and beckoned.

Hinoka stood rooted to the spot. She really, really didn't want to sit with them. It was far too soon for a confrontation, and Hinoka felt ill-prepared. However, the others had already noticed their exchange, and now four sets of eyes were watching her expectantly.

Biting back a groan, she sat down near Leo and Xander – not too close, but also not too far away. Despite her dislike of the Nohrians, she thought it better not to antagonise them.

A rather awkward silence fell after that, and Hinoka busied herself arranging her sleeves as she waited for the performance to begin.

"I am glad you decided to come", Xander said suddenly, rousing Hinoka. "It seems your sister planned something special for you."

"She did? She didn't mention anything of the sort to me."

Even though she tried, Hinoka couldn't quite keep the accusatory tone out of her voice.

If Xander noticed, he showed nothing of it.

"I believe she started making preparations after you retired, which is why she was late for dinner", he replied evenly.

"Oh, I see. You eat together? Why?"

"To get to know one another better. Also, we feared that if we left your sister to her own devices, she might just lock herself in her chambers and waste away. Grief can do terrible things to people."

"You speak from experience?"

"Yes."

"I – see."

"Might I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question."

Xander allowed himself a wan smile.

"I've been wondering about this kind of kimono you're wearing – I've noticed that some women, like your sister, wear them often, and others do not – what is the reason for that?"

"The furisode – which translates as long-sleeved kimono – is exclusively for unmarried women – it's very formal wear, too, which is why you usually see them at castles – these sleeves are very impractical, you see."

"Understandable. So only unmarried women wear those?"

"Yes, though they are free to wear any kind of kimono they want. Once they marry, the sleeves of the furisode are cut off."

"What a waste", Camilla chimed in, a brow raised.

"We can afford it", Hinoka retorted, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah, there's your cute glare again."

"Excuse me?!"

"I just love it when you're glowering like that. It gives me chills."

"You – you're lucky I'm unarmed!", Hinoka snapped.

"My, aren't you a reckless one – need I remind you that you lost the last time we fought?"

"That's enough!", Xander cut in, his tone of voice making it perfectly clear he expected them to comply. "The performance will start soon – what do you think our sisters will say if they see you two squabbling like this?"

Camilla bowed her head, but couldn't stop herself from smirking in Hinoka's direction. Hinoka turned her head away and decided to ignore the Nohrian princess.

 _Kuso, why is she still here?_ _Why couldn't Xander send her home with his army?_

They spent the rest of the wait in silence, as none of the others apparently felt the need to start another conversation.

After what seemed like eternity to Hinoka, Sakura and Elise finally appeared on the stage – Sakura wearing one of her pretty kimono, and Elise clad in whatever her strange gar ment was called. Hinoka was surprised to see how well they worked together to prepare everything for their performance, and the strange contraption Elise used for her notes was intriguing.

Standing next to Elise, Sakura clasped her hands in front before addressing the crowd.

"Everyone, thank you so much for coming tonight. We would like to dedicate this concert to my sister – our future queen – who has finally returned to us. Hinoka-onee, welcome home."

The people applauded while some – Princess Elise among them – cheered. Hinoka blushed, not having expected a speech like that.

Sakura took her place behind the koto, and Elise prepared her instrument as well.

"Tonight's first song will be a Nohrian folk dance arranged for koto and violin", she an nounced cheerfully. "I hope you guys will enjoy it."

Having never been to Nohr herself, Hinoka was completely unfamiliar with Nohrian culture, including music, dancing and art. Therefore, she had absolutely no idea what kind of music a warlike people like them would enjoy.

The song Elise and Sakura played was cheerful and upbeat, it made Hinoka want to get up and start jumping around, like foals frolicking on a meadow. Within moments, the lively music had dispelled her bad mood, and Hinoka found that she was enjoying herself immensely.

When the song ended, she applauded whole-heartedly along with everyone else – the Nohrians seemed to have liked the performance, too, and Camilla was gushing about how proud she was of her baby sister.

It took Hinoka all she had not to roll her eyes – though she, too, was very proud of her own sister.

The second song was a famous Hoshidan tune, though it sounded very different with the addition of the violin. Hinoka couldn't help but admire the effort and passion the two girls had put into this.

After the song had ended, Hinoka was surprised when Elise sat down and placed her instrument on the ground as Sakura tuned her koto for the next song.

"A solo? Now that's a first", Xander muttered.

Hinoka frowned at that, but before she had time to question him, Sakura started playing, and Hinoka realised with a start that this was one of her favourite songs.

Sakura seemed so much at home playing, so much at peace, it was touching. Hinoka found that she had to fight back tears.

When the song ended, she clapped enthusiastically, as did Elise, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"Does this song have a special meaning to you?", Xander asked.

"Not really, but – it's one of my favourites", Hinoka replied, her voice throaty.

"Ah, I see. I haven't heard this one before – she must have added it to the program on short notice."

"They seem very passionate about their art", Hinoka observed as the two princesses pre pared for the next song.

"Indeed. Any artist who works without passion is no true artist."

"Which is exactly why I never learned how to play an instrument", Hinoka replied. "I like music, but lack the passion needed to play an instrument myself."

"I see."

During the course of the concert, Hinoka found that, despite everything, she was enjoying herself very much. It was still strange to see how much in tune Sakura was with Elise, but even she found it hard to find anything sinister in playing music together.

However, Hinoka could hardly wait for the concert to be over so she could congratulate her sister – she knew how nervous Sakura usually got, therefore, seeing her performing on stage – and solo, no less – was quite a sight.

After the concert was over, Hinoka and the Nohrian royals waited for Sakura and Elise as the crowd around them started to dissolve. Elise handed her violin to a servant before jumping off the stage, Sakura followed with more grace. She gave them all a shy smile, however, before Hinoka could say anything, Xander beat her to it.

"You did very well tonight", he said, praise and admiration evident in his voice. "Was this your first time performing solo in front of others?"

"Un."

"Impressive."

"Excuse me, but that's _my_ sister whose attention you're hogging!", Hinoka exclaimed, thoroughly annoyed by the Nohrian's behaviour.

"Ah, my apologies", Xander began, but Sakura didn't let him finish.

"Onee-chan! You can't just interrupt us like that! It's very rude."

"I don't care! They had you all to themselves for weeks. It's my turn now!"

Sakura blinked.

"You make it sound like I am some sort of item to be handed from one person to the next", she observed. "I will spend my time however I please, as long as my time allows it. If I want to speak to Prince Xander, I will do that. If I want to talk to you, I will do that. You can't expect me to stop seeing them now that you've returned, you know. Now, why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?"

"Wh-what?"

"This isn't like you. Something's up. Tell me."

Hinoka was at a loss for words. She was not used to hearing this kind of thing from Sakura – the youngest of the family, the one who had always been coddled and protected. With a start, she realised that Sakura was trying to look out for her – just as she had always looked out for her.

"I'm sorry", she said quietly. "I didn't mean to take this out on you, but it's just – I – I kinda feel like I've been replaced. You don't need me any more."

Sakura's eyes widened. She took a step forward and grasped Hinoka's hands.

"That's not true! No-one could ever replace you – because you are you! And I still need you. I missed you so much, wished I had you by my side so many times..."

"Sakura-chan..."

"If I may, Princess Hinoka", Xander said. "It was never our intent to replace you, or turn your sister away from you. Just the other day, Princess Sakura and I were discussing these kind of things – she told me how she missed you, and that she was worried you wouldn't be found at all. She also felt guilty about admitting that to me, as she thought that missing you would mean disregarding everything I and my siblings have been doing to help her so far, to which I replied that it was perfectly normal for her to be missing her sister, and that we could never replace her family."

Hinoka turned to Sakura.

"Is this true?"

"Un. I would never allow anyone to take your place, Hinoka-onee. You're the only one I have left."

That hit, hard. Hinoka instantly felt bad for the way she had acted around Sakura – who had had to deal with everything on her own, without friends, family or retainers around to help her along... She must have been so scared and confused and lost...

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan. I wish you could have been spared all that..."

"Me too", Sakura replied, smiling wistfully. "But, as Prince Xander once said – we can't change the past. Only try to make the future a brighter one."

"I – guess that's true. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that I am so proud of you – for doing this, for playing some of my favourite songs – it was – touching. Thank you."

"Not at all", Sakura replied, squeezing her hands. "I wanted to make you feel welcome – I could tell something was wrong."

"You're the best sister anyone could ever ask for."

"S-stop it, you're gonna make me blush!", Sakura protested.

Xander chuckled. Hinoka rolled her eyes.

* * *

 **Glossary:**

kuso – damn


	41. In Which There Is A Report

The following morning, Sakura sat down with the councillors, Hinoka and Yukimura to go over everything that had happened ever since their departure. Sakura did most of the talking, the others would occasionally add things she had forgotten, or things they had heard or seen themselves. Overall, Sakura thought that they could give Hinoka and Yukimura a nice overview of where they were right now, and how they had gotten there.

"I have a question concerning the attack on Princess Kamui", Yukimura said once Sakura had finished her report. "How did the people react to your sentence? Was there unrest?"

"Not as f-far as I know", Sakura replied. "It seemed to be the general consensus that our laws should be upheld, even if I am sure many thought that Shirakawa Mamoru's actions were justified, as they were aimed against our conquerors. However, what little sympathy and support he might have had he lost when he tried to attack m-me."

"He did what?!", Hinoka asked, outraged. "Were you hurt?"

"No. I had guards in place, just in case."

"Did the Nohrians attempt to influence your sentence in any way?", Yukimura asked.

"No. True to Prince Xander's promise, they never attempted to interfere with what I was doing, or how I was running the country. They did attend both the hearing and the execution, but other than that, they stayed out of my way. Prince Xander did give me advice on occasion, some of which has been very helpful, but he never tried to influence me or my decisions, as far as I can tell."

"I find it very odd that he gave you advice, Sakura-hime", Yukimura said, his brow furrowed. "Why on earth would he do that?"

"I think he wanted to help strengthen my position, so I could better hold my own against political adversaries. He feared that Hoshido might become destabilised, that we might even have a civil war if Hinoka-onee or myself proved unpopular or ineffective rulers."

"That is a possibility", Yukimura conceded. "But I still wonder why he cares. If he truly doesn't want to add Hoshido to his kingdom, it shouldn't matter to him if our country gets drowned in chaos."

"He cares because he is a good person", Sakura replied softly, earnestly. "It just took me a long while to realise this as I was so terrified of him at first. Give him a chance to prove it. Besides, he knows who he is dealing with right now – he knows me, at the very least. If someone dethroned us and seized power, this could have consequences for Nohr. Maybe there would even be another war. I – I don't think Prince Xander wants another war, though he hasn't told me as much."

"Are you certain that your estimation of Prince Xander's character is correct? Forgive me my bluntness, hime-sama, but it is hard for me to believe that a conqueror, one who attacked and ravaged a peaceful nation, could be a good person."

"Prince Xander did not want this war. Neither did his siblings. It was the imposter. The things I've heard – he was a terrible, terrifying ruler. His own children were certain he'd kill them if they disobeyed him."

"Is there anything to support this claim? Was King Garon – the imposter – truly so violent to wards his own followers so his own children would fear such an outcome?"

"Actually, there is – did you notice the old knight at the recital yesterday? The one with the lavender-coloured hair?"

"I think I did", Hinoka replied. "What about him?"

"His name is Gunther, and he was part of Kamui's retinue at the castle where she was being kept. I didn't know it was him at first, Princess Elise didn't know his name – but I investigated, and that's how I know – the imposter had his entire family murdered. Simply because Gunther-san refused to accept an honour the king had wanted to bestow upon him."

"That's – awful", Hinoka replied.

"It is. And I have no doubt this story is correct – whenever I met him, I could sense his sorrow. Besides, setting up such an elaborate deception seems like it's more trouble than it's worth to me."

"So the royal children were merely soldiers carrying out orders while trying to stay alive", Yukimura surmised.

"That's how I see it", Sakura replied. "I can understand that you might have your doubts about the older ones, but – think of Princess Elise. I don't think anyone could imagine her going to war because she _wants_ to."

"She does seem to be very different from her siblings", Hinoka agreed.

"No. She's just the only one not wearing a mask."

"A mask?"

"I'm sorry, I can't say more on that – Prince Xander shared something very personal with me in an attempt to get me to trust him, and I'd rather not betray his confidence."

"Great heavens, Sakura, your answers to my questions only create more questions", Hinoka groaned. "I respect your wishes, though. Betraying his confidence might come back to haunt you later on. Though this has made me very curious."

"Go ask him, then – though he might not tell you. Besides, I do think you should talk to him – and not just in your capacity as Hoshido's next queen. He wants an alliance. You need to know who you're going to be up against."

"That's a good point. In that case, I want you to tell me everything you've found out about his character – how his mind works. And I'll talk to him – there are some things I've been meaning to ask him, anyway."

"Works for me. Would you like me to brief you right away?"

"No. I'd rather try to figure him out on my own – because anything you might tell me could influence my observations, make them unbiased."

"I see. Well, just tell me whenever you're ready for a character study of Prince Xander. Or any of the others."

"I will."


	42. In Which Hinoka Gathers Information

After having searched almost the entire castle for the elusive Prince Xander, Hinoka decided to ask the servants, and was directed to one of the more secluded Zen gardens.

Upon her arrival, the sight that greeted her made her stop dead in her tracks. The future king of Nohr was sitting seiza underneath a huge cherry tree alongside an old monk, meditating.

Hinoka blinked several times, but the image stayed the same. Hinoka had no idea what to think of this – she somehow had a feeling that these two hadn't met coincidentally. Rather, they were meditating together.

The Hoshidan princess was unsure how to proceed – should she come back later? Wait until they were done? She didn't really want to interrupt them, but she'd already wasted a lot of time looking for Xander, and she wanted her answers as soon as possible.

"How can we be of assistance, Hinoka-sama?", the monk asked, blinking his eyes open.

"Ah – I was looking for Prince Xander."

"Well, I'd say you found him."

Taking a deep breath, Xander returned to this plane of existence. His dark eyes opened and pinned her with a penetrating gaze that was so powerful Hinoka almost took a step backwards.

"Would it be all right if we interrupted our mediation for a bit?", he asked the monk, breaking eye contact with Hinoka as he turned to face the other man.

"We might just as well call it a day", the monk replied. "You've made tremendous progress, Xander-sama. I shall see you again tomorrow."

He rose to his feet, bowed first to Hinoka, then Xander, and departed. Hinoka looked after him, feeling a little bit confused.

"You practise meditation?", she asked Xander, still rather incredulous about this finding.

"I do, but I am rather new to it."

"Why? I mean, what made you want to start practising?"

"I thought it might help me. I am, as Elise would say, a big old worry-wart – I constantly worry about everything and everyone. So I decided to try out mediation, and it helped. I still worry, but it helps me forget my worries for a while."

"I see. I take it meditation is not commonly practised in Nohr?"

"It isn't. Your sister was very surprised when she realised I had no idea what a Zen garden was, or what it is used for. She was the one to explain these things to me, and she also found me a teacher when she discovered that I was interested in learning how to meditate."

"So that's how it happened. I was, admittedly, surprised to find you here like this."

"I can't blame you for that. Well then, Princess Hinoka, how can I be of help?"

"There are a couple of things I want to ask you", Hinoka said, moving closer but refraining from sitting down – she felt more in control that way, and it also had the advantage that she was now taller than him – why did all these Nohrians have to be so damn tall?

"Ask away", he replied, shifting so he was now sitting, and leaning his back against the tree.

His nonchalant air fazed Hinoka somewhat.

"It's Sakura", she said. "I spoke with her yesterday, and asked her how she's holding up. Her answer was rather vague, and she hinted that there are days she isn't doing so well. I am certain she's hiding something from me – wanting to spare me the awful parts, no doubt – but I have to know. I have to know what I might be facing if she has another bad day. I have gathered that she spent a lot of time with you – so I want you to tell me everything you know. Leave nothing out. And don't you dare gloss things over. I want to know all of it."

"Have you considered simply asking your sister directly, instead of coming to me?"

"I don't think that would work. She doesn't want to burden me."

"What about you? Would you go to her if you needed help?"

"No. I don't want to burden her, either."

"I see. I will tell you what I know – but you will have to make this work between yourselves. You must both realise that asking for help doesn't make you a burden to the other, and that there are some things you can't overcome on your own. You two are the only ones left of your family – you will need each other to get through this. I doubt you had the time needed to grieve properly while you were on the run – eventually, you, too, will come apart one way or the other, and when you do, I am certain your sister will be there to help you. But you have to let her. And tell her she can come to you anytime, too."

Hinoka blinked.

"I – did not expect that", she said at length. "I this the result of your experience with grieving?"

"It is. Given the amount of family members I lost over the years, I have experienced and seen many different forms of grief. People deal with it in different ways, but I've always observed that it is best if you share your grief and sorrows with someone else, someone you're close to, someone you trust."

"You've lost family members? Before the war?"

"Yes. I lost almost all of my siblings – it got so bad that at one point I decided to try and not grow attached to them any more, since I never knew if they would still be alive the next day..."

"Wait, what? I always thought – there had been just the five of you – just like there was five of us. You had more siblings than that?"

"Yes – bastards born to my father by his numerous mistresses. Today, only three of those still live."

"How – how did the others die?"

"Some were killed by assassins hired by the other mistresses. Others they killed themselves – and sometimes, they made their children do it. Those were terrible, dark times. You never knew who to trust. You never knew who would be the next to try and kill you..."

"That's – just awful. And your father tolerated this?"

"He encouraged it."

"What? I cannot believe that! This doesn't make any sense. Why would he have so many children only to have them fight or kill each other? Wait, are we talking about your father, or the imposter here?"

Hinoka had moved closer in her agitation without noticing – too engrossed by this horrible tale.

"It's hard to say. You see, my parents never loved one another, they married for the sake of an alliance – for power. I believe my father started having affairs early on – Camilla isn't much younger than me, after all. However, things only started to get really bad after Arete's death – which means that it might have been the imposter who started all the fighting amongst the mistresses and their children. My father cared about his bastards enough he accepted them all as his own, and gave them royal status – which is very unusual for a Nohrian noble or king."

"What do you mean?"

"While affairs do occur amongst the nobility, they are frowned upon, and children born of such unions are usually considered a shame, and are shipped off to distant relatives to be kept out of sight. Therefore, my father making them princes and princesses instead was unheard of."

Hinoka frowned.

"Why would anyone risk a pregnancy if the people involved weren't ready to take on the responsibility that involves? Hoshidans having an affair will either make sure not to conceive a child or be ready to accept it into one of the two families. Bastard-born children are often acknowledged, sometimes even by both parents, if only one of them is of noble birth. We would certainly not be as irresponsible as to have children and then hand then over to some distant relations."

"You sound like it is a common thing for Hoshidans to have affairs."

"Because it is. There's nothing wrong with being in love, with desiring someone. Of course, once people get married, their spouses might become upset if they have a lover on the side, but I've heard of some cases were both spouses were having affairs, and it worked out fine. However, just because everyone is free to take a lover doesn't mean everyone _should_ take one – my siblings and I were discouraged from doing so, actually, as this might have given our lovers power over us. And, well, there was a risk of pregnancy, too, which would have been very impractical for me."

"So none of your siblings took lovers, either?"

"I can't say for certain", Hinoka replied, attempting to cross her arms before realising her sleeves got in the way. "I never saw anything that would count as proof – and, given Sakura-nee and Takumi-nii's characters and dispositions, I think it unlikely that either of them ever had a lover at one point. I'm not so sure about Ryoma-onii, though – I've been suspecting that something might have been going on between him and Azura for a while now."

"Indeed?"

"Yes. They were very close – and Azure didn't grow close to other people easily. The only other person I can think of she had a similar relationship with was Sakura – though I doubt there was anything going on between these two."

If Xander had seemed surprised by Hinoka's explanation of Hoshidan habits so far, now he was without a doubt shocked.

"You mean – our sisters could have had an affair? And no-one would have minded?"

"Of course not. Why would they? Even though we treated Azura as a sister, she was never formally adopted, so it would have been fine."

"It's different in Nohr", Xander replied quietly. "There are laws against this kind of thing."

"Why?"

"Because it's not right."

"Why?"

"I – don't really know..."

"Why would it be all right to stop people from being with the one they love for something as inconsequential as their sex? You can't chose who you fall in love with, or who you desire. There are some people who desire both, you know – men and women. They should be free to live their lives as they please, don't you think?"

"I'm not sure if I can agree with that."

"All right, let's try something different – do you know what it is like to be in love?"

Xander hesitated before nodding his head once.

"And I assume this person in question is a woman?"

"Yes."

"Well then, imagine that this great love of yours is a man. A noble, to make it more realistic. Imagine he returned your feelings, but you had to keep your relationship hidden from everyone, meet in secret and lie to all the people around you... Do you still think this is justified? Or imagine, if you will, that one of your younger siblings desired someone of the same sex, and that they were found out. Maybe they were even accused publicly. Would you sentence you own siblings to – whatever it is you do to punish those poor souls?"

Xander now looked distinctively uncomfortable, and Hinoka hadn't failed to notice that the part about his siblings had had the biggest effect on him.

"Just think about it. You're going to be king. You can change the law, make it better, fairer to everyone."

"I'm not sure if society would approve", he said after a while.

"Why-ever not? Why would people have a problem with this? It's not like anyone's forcing those not interested in the same sex to start having these kind of relationships, you know. You wouldn't be taking away rights, either – rather, you would grant everyone the same rights. That would be a good thing, wouldn't it?"

"I – to be quite honest, I've never considered these matters before, it never occurred to me to see things from that perspective – I'll have to think on this. Maybe talk to my siblings."

"Well, take your time. It's not my people, so I really couldn't care less. Though I still think that your laws are unfair. By the way, did any of your siblings ever take a lover?"

"No – for the same reason you did not."

"I see. So that means you don't know where their preferences lie – one or more of them might be interested in the same sex for all you know. Just keep that in mind."

"I will. Now – did you want to tell me about your sister, or shall we keep discussing things totally unrelated to her?"

Hinoka couldn't keep herself from smirking at his clumsy attempt to change the subject – he was, apparently, not comfortable discussing these kind of things – or maybe just not with her.

"I don't even remember how we ended up here. Though you still haven't told me why you think your father/the imposter pitted your siblings against one another."

"That's true... I've been thinking about this for a while, too. Assuming that it was the imposter who started all this and keeping in mind that his ultimate goal was apparently the destruction of our two kingdoms, it's possible he wanted only the strongest of my siblings to survive – the ones capable of outsmarting or outfighting the others."

"That does make sense, in a grotesque kind of way. Now then, tell me about Sakura."

"Very well. Do keep in mind that I haven't known her for long and don't know how much the war changed her – but I can tell you how much she changed from the day I first met her properly to this day.

"After we had secured the capital, I sent Elise to bring your sister to the castle. The girl I got to know then was terribly insecure, could barely make eye-contact and would stammer constantly. I know I seem intimidating, even frightening to some people, but your sister was one of the worst cases I've ever seen, in particular since I wasn't actively trying to frighten her. On the contrary, it was my intention from the beginning to get better acquainted with her in hopes of forming an alliance later on. However, I am not the most eloquent man, and your sister's fear of my person complicated things."

"I was actually very surprised by your interactions yesterday", Hinoka said quietly. "The Sakura I knew would have never talked to someone like you. No offence."

"None taken. I very persistently tried to convince her that I was not a monster. Princess Sakura discovered early on that I was a man of my word, which worked in my favour. Also, my sister Elise had taken my orders to try and befriend her to heart and tried her hardest. Elise is like an avalanche – once she gets started on something, there is no stopping her. These two bonded quickly, and that enabled me to connect with your sister a bit more easily.

"Despite her initial fear of us, Princess Sakura put on a brave front – she was always polite and reserved – I believe she was hesitant to show us how she truly felt for fear of repercussions at first. I could not detect any outward signs of grief at first, and, figuring that she had no-one to truly confide in, feared that she might be burying it – which can be very harmful.

"She suffered her first breakdown following the funeral – she stumbled and fell on her way back to the castle. She suffered minor cuts from the pebbles, and while Elise and Leo went to fetch her staff, the rest of us escorted Princess Sakura back to her rooms, trying to get her away from prying eyes. She still tried very hard to hold herself together, though."

"The funeral? As in Ryoma and Takumi's funeral? You were there?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Xander shifted, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"I thought it felt right to be there, and the others agreed. You see, I felt terrible for not having been able to prevent their deaths. Furthermore, your sister had wanted to postpone the funeral until you had been found, but wasn't able to – and I felt that she shouldn't have to do this all by herself. Now, I didn't delude myself into thinking that we were a source of comfort to her back then, but it made me feel better since it meant I could keep an eye on her. Besides, I also felt that it was particularly important for Kamui to be there – we hadn't been very supportive after her mother's death, I'm afraid, and I wanted to rectify that, too. Though Kamui was very careful never to show any outward signs of grief, be it for your brothers or our father, whenever Hoshidans were near."

"Kamui – grieved for them?"

"Of course. They were her brothers, too. She hated how things ended. Hated herself for how things ended. I – do not intend to speak on her behalf – I understand that these things need to be resolved between the three of you."

"Hm."

Hinoka chewed her lip before realising this wasn't a very queenly thing to do.

"Has Kamui given any indication of when she wants to resolve these things?"

"No – though I believe she will leave it to you to determine the time and place. We all know that you will be very busy during the next couple of days at least, and wouldn't want to impose. I assume she'll approach you when she feels the time is right."

"I see. You said that this had been Sakura-nee's first breakdown – so I assume there were more?"

"Yes. The second one I know of occurred after the attempt on Kamui's life. Your sister came to see us the following morning, after having interrogated the attacker and having met with her councillors. She informed me of how she was going to proceed, but we were joined unexpectedly by Kamui, who was, understandably, eager to find out more about the man who had wanted to kill her. You see, apparently she had gotten into an argument with Princess Sakura the day before, and the situation nearly escalated – Sakura's temporary guard used a smoke bomb to get her away before someone lost their cool. That noble caught wind of that, and this spurred him into motion. So there was that, and then there were also a lot of unresolved things between Kamui and your sister – and it became all too much for her. When I realised she was going to have a breakdown, I told Kamui to find Elise and moved Princess Sakura into my rooms, so she would be out of sight. She still tried desperately to remain as composed as possible, even though I could see the strain it put on her. While I am used to offer comfort to others, I was unsure if I should attempt to offer any to her – whenever I had attempted to do so in the past, she'd shy away from me, and I was also worried about breaching protocol. So all I could do was hope that Elise would arrive soon. When she did, your sister finally did fall apart. As far as I know, this was the first time she addressed how she felt about everything – she was feeling conflicting emotions, and that confused her. She even said that she hated herself for feeling the way she did. It took her a while until she managed to calm down, and she even spoke a few words with Kamui after that. They agreed that Sakura would listen to Kamui's story at an unspecified later point, and that Kamui would keep her distance for the time being."

"Poor Sakura... She's always been an empathetic person, so this must have been terrible for her. Did she get her feelings sorted out?"

"I – don't know for sure. She and Elise went for a walk afterwards – an attempt to distract her, no doubt – but I don't know what they spoke of during that walk. But letting out all of that pain and grief and confusion surely did a lot to help her on the road of recovery, and Elise is very experienced at handling these kind of things."

"I see. I should probably thank her for having been so kind to Sakura-nee."

"You can, if it makes you feel better, but Elise would probably just say something along the lines of 'just doing her duty'.

"There was another incident, though it is not related to grieving – she sentenced the noble to die the same day, and had him executed. She – didn't handle that very well, though she managed to keep herself together until she was inside, out of sight of the people."

"What happened?"

"She was dry-heaving when we came inside. Elise once again came to her rescue and alleviated her suffering. I told her that no-one walked away from his first execution completely unaffected, and that it got better with time – but we both agreed that we didn't want her to hold many more executions. If you would care to hear my advice – it might be a good idea to keep her away from these things, should you ever have to execute someone again."

"I shall keep that in mind. Thank you. Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing I can think of at the moment. Like I said, your sister took great care to hide much of what she felt from us. Also, there were times during which she shut herself in her rooms, and we have no way of knowing how she was doing during these times. Her servant might know more, though."

"I see."

She cocked her head to the side.

"You know, you're not quite what I expected you to be."

"Oh? What did you expect, if I might ask?"

"Well... more haughtiness. Arrogance. That you'd feel somehow superiour to me, even though you're not."

"I suppose I can't fault you for that. But I would gain nothing from antagonising you. Besides, it is just as you said – I am no better than you. Hoshido might be very different from Nohr, but that doesn't mean it's inferior. The last couple of weeks have taught me that. Though I pride myself to say that I never believed my own country's propaganda."

"Propaganda? What do you mean?"

"It is usually easier to get men to fight for you if they believe there is a good reason for it. For example, if you make them believe that your enemies must be destroyed at all costs for the greater good. Demonising them helps with that. So that's what we did. We pretended that you were uncultured barbarians despite knowing that this couldn't possibly be true. Did you not employ similar tactics here in Hoshido?"

"There was no need. You did a very good job at demonising yourselves. Everyone knew _you_ were the uncultured swine here."

"Surely not!", Xander protested in mock exasperation. "I am quite certain _you_ are the savages."

That actually made Hinoka chuckle, and Xander gave her a wan smile.

"I think we can both agree that neither of us is a savage", Hinoka said at length. "Though I might judge some of your people differently."

"Some of them clearly earned themselves that kind of reputation", Xander admitted. "While it saddens me, there is nothing I can do to change that in retrospect."

"I will not hold the actions of men not under your command against you", Hinoka replied quietly. "As a military commander, I know that would be wrong. I'm – not saying you're completely off the hook, but I am willing to give you a chance. Prove to me that you are being honest about wanting to create a better world for us all."

"I will. You have my word."

"Right. Speaking of which, I would like to know how much longer you intend to stay here. Sakura indicated that you were waiting for my return. Well, I'm back, but I don't exactly see you packing your stuff."

"True. I want to make sure everything is in order here before I leave – I need to make certain you can handle your new duties as a queen. I know that Princess Sakura is very capable and will be a great help to you, but if the people should view you as inefficient or deem that you are not up to the task, someone might try to dethrone you. That is the last thing I want."

"Why? Why does it matter who sits on the Hoshidan throne, if you don't want it for yourself?"

"I know your sister, and I trust you to be a reasonable person. I believe that I will be able to work with you both. If someone were to dethrone you, I would have no idea who I would be dealing with. That person might jeopardise the alliance, might even start a new war, no matter how stupid that might be. I do not want that.

"The alliance is another reason we are still here – I want to discuss the terms with you, as you are going to be queen. Depending on how long all that takes, we might be here for some time. I'm afraid I can't give you a time frame – but I do hope we will be able to resolve these matters rather quickly. I am anxious to return home."

"Ah, yes, the alliance. Sakura-nee mentioned that to me. How soon would you like to commence negotiations?"

"As soon as you are able – you will need time to prepare yourself, and I know you have other pressing matters to attend to. I assume that I should be available whenever you should decide that we can start."

"I see. That is – rather generous of you. Sakura-nee also told me that you declined to discuss the terms with her, despite knowing that you could have easily exploited her disposition – I must admit that this speaks in your favour. Another thing I wouldn't have expected."

Hinoka stopped herself short of asking him whether or not he intended to take Sakura away – if her sister's hunch was correct, she might just be putting ideas in his head for all she knew. Besides, it was better that he didn't know what she feared.

"Hm. You shouldn't presume to know me yet. How about you try to find out who I am, instead of just making wild assumptions about who I might be?"

"Sounds reasonable."

"Good. Also, I want you to know that you can come talk to me anytime, should any more questions arise, or if you feel the need to get to know me better. I assume my siblings will likewise be of help to you."

"I see. Thank you once again. I might take you up on that. I really should be going now, though – this took much longer than I had anticipated."

"I shall not keep you. Oh, one last thing – will you come and eat with us? It would make this 'getting-to-know-us' thing easier."

"I can't come today", Hinoka replied, hoping he wouldn't see right through her. "I'll be having lunch and dinner together with court officials and other important people – lots of things to learn, lots of things to discuss."

"I see."

"Yes. Well. Have a nice day."

Hinoka quickly turned away and made her way back to the house as swiftly as her stupid kimono would allow.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I've based the Hoshidan's understanding of sexuality on that of the Japanese, where sex isn't considered dirty or sinful, and homosexuality is widely accepted, something our foreign ministry even pointed out on its website.

In contrast to that, the Nohrian's understanding of sexuality is based on that of old European courts – on the outside, people were prim and proper, but once you took a closer look, you could see how little the nobles cared about these things. Garon's actions took things a bit further, though the commoners still have to uphold the laws or face the consequences. And homosexuality is, of course, eeeewww.


	43. In Which Xander Contemplates Things

**A/N:** I'm still alive, guys, and I found my muse again! This one's a short one for now, but the next segment is practically complete already.

* * *

Lunch was a somewhat awkward business – at least it was for Xander, since Sakura was, thankfully, unaware of his musings concerning her person.

Now, Xander would never be foolish enough to hold her country's ways and traditions against her – if she had, indeed, taken a lover, he would accept that.

Though the thought certainly didn't sit well with him – he wanted to be her first, her only, just as she was to him.

Though thinking about what he and Hinoka had discussed earlier about same-sex relationships still made him feel uneasy, Xander had to admit that her words had merit. Especially seeing as how allowing these kind of relationships hadn't turned Hoshidans into depraved hedonists or ruined their moral compass.

And then there was Niles. While the former thief did try to keep himself in check whenever in the presence of the crown prince, it was a well-known fact that he liked to flirt with anyone he came across, be they male or female. Xander had, until now, chalked this up to Niles' abrasive nature – he loved to toy with and torment others, after all. But what if Niles was interested in men, and just flirted with women to hide this? If, under the current laws, Niles were to be found guilty of such a crime, the royal family and Leo in particular would suffer for it.

 _Maybe I should try to find out more about how Hoshidans deal with these kind of people, and how they make it work for nobles – for every noble or king needs an heir._

He would have to be very careful about all this, though – the belief that any relationships between people of the same sex were sinful was deeply-rooted in the minds of most Nohrians, at least as far as he knew, and whatever remained of the clergy was adamant to underline that occasionally. If he should decide to change Nohr's laws, and went about it the wrong way, he might well have an uprising at his hands.

Apart from their small detour into bedroom affairs, Xander's talk with the queen-to-be had gone over quite well. While she had been far from relaxed in his presence, she hadn't been hostile or aggressive. So Xander considered the whole thing a success.

While still mulling these things over, Xander reached for his bowl and chopsticks. He was about to fish out his first bite when Sakura interrupted his thoughts.

"Um – shouldn't we wait for onee-chan?"

Xander looked up at that, puzzled, but Sakura seemed totally earnest in her query.

"I was under the impression that your sister wouldn't be joining us as she was going to be having lunch with the people she was having her meeting with", he replied evenly.

"A meeting? I don't know anything about that", she replied in earnest surprise before blushing when she realised she'd just given her sister away.

"So it was just an excuse, then", Leo observed.

"I'm sorry", Sakura replied. "I didn't know she wasn't going to come, or that she'd given you an excuse. Please don't think ill of her."

"I won't hold it against her", Xander replied. "Though I would have preferred it if she'd told me the truth. Please, don't feel bad about this – I won't mention this to her, to keep things from getting awkward between you, if you like."

"Thank you", Sakura replied quietly.

* * *

 **A/N:** Personally, I share Xander's belief that Niles just loves to toy with others, as he does marry a woman in canon and has a daughter.


	44. In Which There Are Visits

Dusk was already beginning to settle when Hinoka finally had some time to herself. Even though the excuse she had given Xander earlier that morning had been fabricated, she did have other obligations to attend to, such as seeing several seamstresses who were going to overhaul her wardrobe, and jewellers who had tried to sell her their entire stock.

Hinoka hated jewellery even more than she hated kimono, as they served no purpose at all. Kimono, while impractical, at least kept you warm.

The light of the setting sun was painting the roofs and trees with reddish light when Hinoka finally reached her destination. She berated herself for not having come here sooner as she walked past the small rocks marking the graves of her ancestors.

Members of the royal family were buried in a graveyard that was in the most secluded of all the gardens, farthest away from the entrance. It was a serene, orderly place, disconnected from the hustle and bustle that was life in the castle town.

Finally, Hinoka reached the graves she had come to see – she'd visited Mikoto's grave before, but, naturally, not Takumi's or Ryoma's.

Hinoka knelt and lit the incense she had brought, then clapped her hands together as she said the ritual words. She prayed for the souls of her brothers, that they might be blessed in the afterlife, while also begging their forgiveness for having failed them.

Hinoka clenched her eyes shut as dark, despairing thoughts began to stir. If Takumi had truly been possessed, as everyone seemed to believe, then she had failed to notice it. For years, finding Kamui and bringing her back home had been Hinoka's only drive – and now she realised that she had neglected her youngest siblings because of it. Most of the time she had spent with either of the two had been whenever they had been on missions together, or at formal gatherings. But other than that, she had not cared nearly as much as an older sister ought to.

And where had that gotten her? Her family dead, for most part, and the one she had been fighting for had turned her back on her homeland.

The crunching sound of gravel alerted Hinoka to the fact that someone was there. Spinning around so one foot was planted on the ground while still kneeling on the other knee (and not caring how ungraceful it might look), Hinoka was determined to give the impertinent person disturbing her a thorough scolding – and was startled to realise the offender was Kamui.

Her traitorous sister was standing a few feet away, holding a bunch of flowers in her arms, looking rather startled herself – possibly by Hinoka's reaction, as she must have seen her from afar.

"What are you doing here?", Hinoka hissed.

"I – I was just - "

"You have no right to be here, not after everything you've done! Leave!", Hinoka roared.

Kamui turned on her heel and fled, scattering flowers as she went.

Feeling her fury ebb away, Hinoka suddenly felt empty, and tired. Slumping to the ground, she hit the gravelled path with her fist, uttering a curse, though that didn't make her feel any better.

 _Why? Why did it have to come to this?_

Hinoka didn't know how long she'd stayed there, but by the time she finally returned inside, the sun had set. Not in the mood to see Kamui (or anyone else) at dinner, Hinoka made straight for her quarters. Her servants tutted when they noticed the state she was in, and examined her right hand worriedly. When asked about it, Hinoka merely replied that she had been careless. Tired to the bone, she sent the servants away, rejecting their offer to fetch her a meal, and went to bed.

Thankfully, sleep did not elude her for long. However, sometime later, Hinoka was woken when Sakura crawled onto her futon and slid under the coverings, snuggling up to Hinoka, just as she had done sometimes when they had been younger.

Hinoka blinked a few times, trying to wake up fully, and glanced at her sister – or what little she could see of her in the darkness.

"You weren't at dinner", Sakura said quietly. "I was worried."

"I'm sorry. Kami, Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry. I've been a horrible sister, and a failure... I don't deserve your kindness", Hinoka groaned, curling in on herself.

"Nonsense", Sakura protested in a calm, kind voice. "You're the greatest sister one could wish for. I've always admired you, your strength, your conviction – I often wished I could be more like you, but I'm – me. Not cut out for the same things as you. I don't blame you for anything, onee-chan, and I don't want you to blame yourself."

"But – I've failed. How can you still look up to me?"

"You survived", Sakura replied quietly. "You survived when there were people out to kill you. Back at Fort Jinya, Prince Xander gave me his word we wouldn't be harmed – he wanted to keep me safe, to keep me alive. The imposter wanted you dead."

"I – suppose", Hinoka muttered, still not quite certain how that counted in Sakura's opinion.

"I can't remember Kamui from back when she was still living with us", Sakura went on, "so, for the longest time, you've been my only sister. Having you back here with me is the greatest gift of all. I cannot stop thanking the kami for your safe return."

"Thank you", Hinoka muttered, hugging her sister closely to her chest. "You're a treasure, you know that? And don't say it isn't so. I – I'll make it through this, I promise. And – should you ever need anything, anything at all, you can come to me anytime, understand? I'll always be there for you, imoto."

Sakura squeezed her back, sniffling softly.

"I visited the graves earlier", Hinoka said quietly. "I know I should have done that sooner... Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that Kamui was there, too."

"She was?"

"Yes. She arrived shortly after I did, and I – I got so angry I snapped at her, demanded that she leave. She'd brought flowers, too. Why-ever would she do that?"

"Maybe it's a Nohrian custom? I don't really know much about Nohrian burial rites... Did Kamui seek you out?"

"No, I think we met there by accident. I still didn't like her being there."

"You could certainly forbid her from visiting the graves", Sakura mused. "But it would be a very cruel thing to do – no matter what has happened, Mikoto was her mother, and Ryoma and Takumi her brothers. It would reflect poorly on you if you barred her from visiting her mother's grave."

"Ugh. You're probably right."

"You should have told me that you had fed Prince Xander a lie, you know", Sakura said after a while. "I accidentally gave you away."

"Oh no... Were they very angry?"

"They weren't angry at all – though Prince Xander did say he would have preferred it if you'd been honest with him."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind for the next time – not all people appreciate blunt honesty, you know, especially not nobles."

"I know. But I think he has to deal with so much subterfuge at home, he'd really appreciate not having to do so here."

"Well, I can't imagine that anyone actually enjoys all that rubbish", Hinoka muttered. "I most certainly don't."

"You might have to learn to deal with it, though. Like you said, not everyone can deal with other people's honest opinion, and if you're too forward with the wrong person, it might have bad consequences..."

"Good grief. I really don't look forward to being queen. You – you'll help me, won't you?"

"Of course I will. I'll always be there to support you. Always."


	45. In Which There Is a Reunion

The next morning, Sakura finally, _finally_ found time to speak with Tsubaki and Hana properly – it wasn't that she hadn't talked to them at all, but there hadn't been time for anything other than polite enquiries and assuring each other that they were fine.

Hinoka's return had sent the royal palace into a frenzy of activity, which of course had meant more work for Sakura. As much as she would have loved to sit down with her retainers and talk for hours, her schedule simply hadn't allowed it.

But now, finally, she had some time to herself, and so she set out to find her dearest friends.

Following their return to Castle Shirasagi, Sakura had ordered both her retainers and Yukimura to go and rest, and recover from the strain of the previous weeks. Yukimura had, predictably, decided not to follow her request but insisted that he was fine, and that his help was needed. Sakura had been pleased to see that Hana and Tsubaki were a bit more reasonable.

She found the two of them in Tsubaki's quarters, sitting inside the living area and looking out onto the gardens through the open doors. Both immediately rose to their feet and bowed when she entered, and Sakura smiled at them, feeling immensely glad that they had returned to her safely.

They settled down onto cushions and Sakura looked at them both expectantly.

"How are you both? Have you recovered from everything that's happened?"

"Physically, yes. It might take some more time to come to terms with our failures, though", Tsubaki replied.

"Indeed", Hana added grimly. "I feel that we have let you, and by extension, all of Hoshido down."

"You need not carry such a heavy burden", Sakura replied, shaking her head. "You are warriors, not politicians or commanders. You did all you could given the circumstances. It was I who ordered you to stand down, to surrender. If anyone is to blame for this mess, it's me. Though Prince Xander made me understand that resisting further would have been pointless, that I would have sacrificed my life for nothing. We would not have been able to stop them. Accepting this was difficult, very difficult, but also necessary. I pray you will be able to do so, too."

Hana and Tsubaki exchanged a glance, before bowing their heads.

"You speak words of wisdom, Sakura-hime", Tsubaki said. "My mind acknowledges this, but my heart refuses to listen."

"It takes time", Sakura replied. "I was in denial for quite some time. I was having terrible dreams, too – it took a long time until I could sleep peacefully again without the use of potions."

"Well, we've been through some pretty horrible stuff", Hana mused. "And you were never trained as a warrior. Though I completely understand why you wanted to fight. What I mean to say is that it would have been surprising, miraculous even, if you'd made it through that ordeal completely unscathed."

"True. Anyway, how did looking for Hinoka-onee go? You were gone for quite some time… Did you get along with the Nohrians all right?"

"Laslow-san seems to be a decent enough guy, which did surprise me at first", Tsubaki said, looking thoughtful. "I did not expect that from a Nohrian. I expected abuse, a feeling of superiority, haughtiness… But I saw none of that. While I would not go as far as to call him a friend, he was a good comrade, and a thoughtful commander. It was our team that discovered Hinoka-sama in the end – I went ahead to speak to her first, but Laslow-san handled every interaction with her quite well. While the atmosphere was tense at times, there never were open hostilities between the two forces, everyone managed to tolerate each other."

"I was told the teams were led by three royal retainers – whose retainer was Laslow-san?", Sakura asked.

"He serves Prince Xander. Selena-san serves Princess Camilla and Effie-san Princess Elise."

"Selena-san and I had a rocky start", Hana said. "She acts very gruff and unconcerned, ready to brush anything off and pretend that she doesn't care. It took me a while to see past her abrasive nature. Once I did, our relationship started to improve. Though we didn't interact much on the road."

"I see. You mentioned earlier that your team found Hinoka-onee, Tsubaki – did you have to split up?"

"Yes. Hinoka-sama laid several false trails to throw pursuing enemies off, so we picked three of them at random. Our trail turned cold after some time, and we were forced to re-trace our steps back to the spot where they split, and pick a new one."

"Same thing happened to us, and Yukimura-sama's team, too. Hinoka-sama was pretty cunning."

"It's standard procedure, really", Tsubaki replied.

"For a _ninja_. But not for a princess."

Sakura cleared her throat softly.

"Anyway! How have you been, Sakura-hime? Did you get along with the Nohrians?"

"They seemed very scary to me at first, even Princess Elise. But as I got to know them better, I realised they're not scary at all. Prince Xander actually went out of his way to prove that to me, and he gave me lots of useful advice. I am very grateful for his help, and patience."

"Well, their retainers did say that they were nice people, all things considered", Hana mused. "But you don't usually think of your enemy as 'nice'."

"True. But I came to understand that Prince Xander and his siblings didn't want this war. However, they couldn't oppose their father/the imposter for fear of their lives."

"Yes, that's what we have been told", Tsubaki agreed. "Though the thought of something possessing the king of Nohr is still strange."

"I've seen his body", Sakura replied quietly. "It looked grotesque. There was a face on his chest… It looked – evil. Malicious. Besides, their story was too absurd to be a lie. I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to buy that story, and the Nohrians probably realise that, too."

"That's true", the sky knight conceded. "I didn't get the impression that the Nohrians are either foolish enough to think we'd believe such a story, nor that they thought us overly gullible. I guess a war-faring nation such as theirs cannot afford to underestimate its enemies, or overestimate its soldiers' capabilities."

Hana nodded in thoughtful agreement.

"There's something else I wanted to tell you ", Sakura said after a while. "Prince Xander suggested I pick a temporary replacement while you were away, which I did – the thing is, I'd like to keep Yue-san as a third retainer, if that's all right with you."

"Sakura-hime, we live to serve you", Hana replied. "Your wish is our command. If you want to keep Yue-san, we will respect your choice, and strive to work together with her to assure your protection and well-being."

"Indeed", Tsubaki chimed in. "It would never occur to us to question a decision like that."

"I'm glad. Though it would have felt wrong if I had just decided on this without consulting you at all."

Hana grinned at her.

"We'll try our hardest to make you proud! And we should get to know Yue-san, too – I've heard she's a ninja, so I assume she follows you around unseen?"

"Un. However, once you two are ready to resume you duties, I can arrange for one of you to sit down and chat with her while the other one looks after me. Sound good?"

"Yes, I believe we can manage that", Tsubaki replied. "I look forward to meeting her, after what I've heard."


End file.
